ROBIN - Key Persons
Angela earned her B.F.A. in Interior Architecture from CSU Chico. Her passion for biophilic and sustainable design shines through her work, bringing unique solutions and style to the team.
Job Titles:
- Artist Biography Coming Soon
Italian born, Dario, is a musician, photographer, and strategic marketing guru.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director
- Artist, Designer
- Girl Boss
Deana Duffek, the owner & principal designer is known for her high integrity, keen attention to detail and an ardent commitment to quality. Beginning her career in Interior Design 25+ years ago, Deana found her passion for design early in life and has spent her entire career immersed in the interior design & product development arenas. With both a Bachelors of Fine Art in Interior Architecture & Design and a Masters of Fine Art in Organizational Leadership, Deana brings a disciplined approach and creative leadership to each project she and her team embark on.
Deana Duffek is an award-winning artist, designer and a contributing writer for Interactive Artist Magazine. She is steadily involved with various Art Exhibitions and Gallery Shows. She is a member of The Sawdust Art Festival, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Art Directors Club (ADC) and American Institute of Architects (AIA).
"I am an artist, designer, and developer, not necessarily in that order. For years, I told people I was a designer and worked in development, ‘and oh, by the way, I am an artist as well'. It's how I saw myself I don't exactly know when my viewpoint changed. I am still an active designer and developer, but at the heart of it all, I am an artist.
I am an authentic artist, a true problem solver. I find that my thinking, reading, experimentation, and exploration are all directed toward not only better art and development design, but also as a means for me to evolve creatively and utilize what I have learned to better serve others."
Derek Gores recycles magazines, maps, handwritten notes, data and other printed paper materials in his lush collage artwork. His fine art is represented by galleries in Los Angeles, Paris, Australia and more. Gores was called ‘One of the 40 important artists of the New Contemporary Movement' by curators of an exhibit in London in 2010. Gores' work was selected for the Manifest Hope exhibit during President Obama's Inauguration in 2009. Gores collectors and commercial clients include Prada, Dwell, Lincoln Automotive, the National Football League, Tag Heuer, the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, Loews South Beach, Heineken, and others. Gores was the Official Kentucky Derby Artist in 2013.
Shrouded in dreamlike memories of his childhood in the Philippines, Dodie infuses the sights and emotions of his memories onto the canvas. A deep need to express his enigmatic visions led him to create works that invoke both the beauty and imperfections we encounter in our lives.
Colors bleeding serenely together while reacting to one another are amplified by strokes of darkness to convey opposing memories of both the natural beauty and urban decay visible in the Philippines. The complexity of blossoming florals, inspire ethereal colorways and ascending patterns that transcribe his introspection into our consciousness.
Dodie Sy was raised in the natural splendor of the Philippines, surrounded by tropical flora and lush forests. At a young age an innate appreciation for natural beauty led him to start viewing the world through an aesthetic lens. When he turned 13 his family left the Philippines and moved to California, where he had to assimilate to a new environment and find his identity as an artistic immigrant.
The son of hardworking parents he followed suit and earned a full scholarship to FIDM to study interior design. Soon realizing he longed for more creative freedom, Dodie left school to pursue floral design. Escalating his artistry from simple arrangements to grand scale events, was proof he had made the right decision and manifested itself into many industry achievements. Never one to sit idle, he soon felt compelled to try a new medium and began painting floral scapes in watercolor. Shortly after his husband saw his potential as a painter he urged Dodie to try his hand at oil painting. Dodie instantly fell in love with the medium and his ability to manipulate the vivid oils on the canvas.
Born and raised in Canada, Jan Lord studied art from the time she was in Grade School. During her childhood, she could be seen painting during the summer months in the beautiful parks in Vancouver, B.C. Throughout her career, she has studied under a variety of Canadian and American watercolor and acrylic artists.
Jan has found her total and unique style through many great instructors. Her techniques include acrylic and oil pastels, glazing, and adding a variety of elements such as aluminum, graphite, paper, iron, nuts and bolts.
Jan's art can be found in numerous private and corporate collections.
Jan's true inspiration comes from music, the rhythm and words will have an emotional effect and transmit in the art, as well, forms and shapes of people will appear. Her abstract work is known for its layered color fields and textured surfaces. She enjoys working with oils, acrylics, charcoal, graphite and mixed media on Panels.
Jessica Osborne was born in 1979 and raised in a small town in Illinois by a mother who was a painter and father a musician. Jessie always enjoyed art and drawing but did not pick up a paintbrush until she was 24. At 19 years old moving to California she was inspired by the beauty of the ocean and the calmness of the redwoods. Wanting to bring the mood indoors Jessie became a self taught artist creating all types of art. Inspired by color and how it changes a room and a mood she enjoyed creating abstract art. She feels abstract art stimulates creativity by both artist and viewer freeing the soul.
Job Titles:
- Member of the North Dakota State University
Experience = Art. The people I meet, places I go, emotions I feel - all of these are expressed in my art. In many ways, my work is not about art, it is about life. This is why people find meaning in a painting. They can't always explain it, but they can feel it. For me, that is life - something we can't always explain, but we can always feel.
Wachter expresses these personal experiences through her use of color, texture, and composition. Her contemporary mixed media work is strongly gestural, often containing personal celebrations, struggles, joys, loves, and losses. Working with abstraction, the artist seeks to imbue the work with a tangible essence and mystery while keeping it open enough for the viewers own response.
Born in Bismarck, ND, Wachter graduated Magna Cum Laude from North Dakota State University with degrees in Art and Interior Design. Wachter currently resides in Bismarck, ND practicing as a full-time artist. Wachter works in her studio, where she paints, draws, screenprints and continues to explore with new mediums and the scale of her work. Many of her pieces reside in public and private collections throughout the country.
Wachter's work has been shown in numerous solo shows and exhibitions, including solo shows at ecce gallery in Fargo, ND, a solo exhibition at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND, and an exhibition at the International Art Basel Event in Miami, FL. In the summer of 2015, she completed an Artist-in- Residence Program in Medora, ND. She has been featured on the cover of several publications. Design & Living Magazine has named her the 2015 & 2016 People's Choice for Best Local Artist.
Wachter serves as a member of the North Dakota State University, Bison Arts Board of Directors and the NDSU Architecture and Landscape Architecture Advisory Board. She was also awarded an apprenticeship at Experience Institute in Chicago. At Tedx Des Moines, Wachter gave a Tedx talk entitled "Everyone is an Artist."
Joan Scheibel is a contemporary abstract painter currently living and working in Los Angeles. Scheibel received a full scholarship from the prestigious Otis/Parson College of Art and Design and would later study Illustration at Platt College of Design. Scheibel established a prominent seventeen-year career in graphic design owning a business that was at the forefront of album packaging, branding, and advertising. As a venerable professional in both packaging and marketing, Joan's client list included notable clients such as Capitol Records, Universal Records, Cherry Music, and many others. Her career spanned every genre of music and she created the cover art for Meredith Brooks' iconic song, I'm A Bitch, which would go on to be an international #1 single.
Turning her attention inward for a more personal form of expression, Joan has pursued a fine art career for nearly a decade. Her work quickly earned acknowledgment from collectors, peers, and galleries throughout California, New York, New Mexico, and Las Vegas, NV. She is a consistent winner of the juried ArtSlant Showcase awards given to emerging and mid-career artists that exhibit both great potential and commitment to their practice.
"My Shadow appeared and I started painting. Guess we can never escape ourselves."
Juan-Carlos studied at Universidad del Valle de México. After relocating from Mexico City to Laguna Beach he has not only become a sought after designer, but a true trend setter.
Julia holds a B.A. in Industry Specific Engineering. She is a stickler for details and a great "conductor" working to pull a multitude of ideas together into one piece.
With a B.F.A . in Graphic Design and more than a decade of industry experience, Kelly has a passion for finding functional, beautiful solutions to design problems.
Job Titles:
- Artist Biography Coming Soon
Robin Heirs was raised in Laguna Beach, California - she has been immersed in the art world since childhood, having her own art booth when her dad, John Hiers was involved with the now famous Sawdust Festival and Art-Afair. Robins mother, Lee Hiers was also a very talented and accomplished artist. Robin was was raised at the beach, on the floor the family gallery: The Pink Palette; and crayons were always in her hand. Robins natural ability to draw led to a lifetime of artistic pursuits, including learning more about art communication at SDSU. Robin then adapted to Graphic Illustration, but later found her true calling in Fashion Illustration. Robins natural painting style led to learning more about Picasso, Matisse, and her favorite contemporary artist David Hockney. Growing up surrounded by art and having artist parents allowed for Robin to stay well stocked with pads of paper and art supplies, but that was the extent of the formal art education. Pretty brilliant, actually, as Robin puts it "I was never taught in a formal way - which is probably why to this day I still have a distinct style".
For the last 13 years, Shane Townley has worked internationally as an artist, nonprofit professional, Independent Curator collaborating with emerging contemporary artists, art institutions, corporations, galleries and individuals, both domestically and throughout the world. His uniquely diverse background in the arts, nonprofit development, and arts management has positioned him to skillfully aid creative professionals, art patrons, and institutions in sustainable social and economic growth. Currently, Townley's studio, the Townley Arts foundation Inc. is based in Mana Contemporary living Museum, he is also managing the New York Art Group - NewYorkART.com, a global arts & cultural management consulting firm based in the largest city in the world for the arts.
Serbian artist Vladimir Prodanovich, born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1952) began his artistic career at age 7. As a young boy Vladimir attended a local art show and entered a contest and won third prize. At the age of 13 he was invited to be an apprentice to a noted Yugoslavian artist where, for the next 1o years, Vladimir learned to hone his artistic skills. In 1983 at the age of 31, Vladimir boarded an airplane for "the promised land of America" with $300 in his pocket. His first home was in Philadelphia were he painted cars, homes and billboards, while still finding the time to paint on his own and learn English. Three years later Vladimir drove west to California where he lived for the next 27 years and established himself as a professional artist. His artwork, described as neo-expressionist, is highly textured and vibrant. Composition and form can vary widely but are all executed with mastery.