Creature Feature
March 12 – May 3, 2025
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 10:00am – 5:00 pm
Finding Joy in our Fellow Creatures
“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.” – James Herriot
Alison Bozarth
Illustrator
Art has always been my voice in life, finding it hard to vocalize my feelings I poured what I felt onto any flat page I could get my hands on. I was told at a very young age that I could not “Draw myself through life,” taking that as a personal challenge I began to push.
I went into creating my own Illustration Program passing as the first B.F.A Webster University Illustrator. Jumping into art fairs I began to travel away from the home state, Kentucky, Alabama, Memphis, Nashville, Chicago, Wisconsin, this teaching me how to speak about my main art series.
At fairs I seldom looked for awards, instead hoping to instill creative ideas and appreciation of earths creatures, my aim to steal hearts not awards, gained me resistance that it is not all about money.
Taking an even bigger leap, my mother and I took on a local art gallery that would represent 100 local artists work at a time. Striving to let other creatives shine, I continue to push my work and spread creative endeavors.
Abstract paintings are created using brilliant Daniel Smith watercolors as a base. Illustrations are drawn over the painting with graphite for extensive detail, shading, and perspective. Additional layers of color with copic are added and/or removed to highlight specific animal characteristics and for interest. Endangered species have tiny people hidden for scale, interest, and as a metaphor to keep them on the planet. The piece is finished with encaustics.
Jojo Li
Watercolor
Jojo Li has 16 years of experience as an art educator. Founding The Jojo’s Art Studio in China in 2008, many of her students have been admitted to international elite art schools across the globe. Jojo has her Bachelors of Dual Disciplines in Fine Arts Education and from the Department of Journalism at Nan Jing University of Political Science. She served as an exhibition curator through 2021 and held nine major art exhibitions, once sending 30 artworks to Italy for the Florence Art Museum. In Italy, Jojo’s art work won the Italian Da Vinci Fine Arts Award.
Jojo was an art director, event speaker and special guest artist for BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Bentley as well as a Grow Coral Ambassador for Protect the Ocean (Bali). She currently live in St. Louis, MO and works as an aesthetic life consultant and art teacher, while still acting as director of her art studio in China. In addition, Jojo Is a wine lover, earning several international certifications in wine and sommelier courses.
Arleanna Holtzmann
Acrylic Paintings
Arleana Holtzmann is an Award Winning St. Louis based Artist who uses her art to support causes she’s passionate about. She often attends fundraising events and paints live during, or donates paintings to charity events. She was Artist in Residence for two years at the World Bird Sanctuary, and has worked with other non profits including The National Children’s Cancer Society, the St. Louis Zoo, Stray Rescue, Mauhaus, the Endangered Wolf Center, and Artscope.
Arleana’s artwork is a blend of both traditional techniques and contemporary abstract expressionism. Her paintings have the subject(s) depicted realistically, yet there are often large expressive brush strokes, paint splatters, or creative colors to add an element beyond just reproducing the subject realistically creating an emotional connection between the Artist, Artwork, and Viewer.
Makenna Burton
Oil Paintings
Makenna Burton is a St. Louis native, life-long equestrian, and artist.
“Horses have defined my life for the last two decades. They’ve challenged me, shown me love, and taught me perseverance. This collection of equine art is the most serendipitous intersection of my two most enduring passions coming together.
My oil paintings are a reflection of a life of love and dedication to the horse. With each piece, I aim to capture the vibrant energy and powerful presence of these magnificent animals. Through bold compositions and a dynamic use of color, my goal is to capture not only their physical form but also their inner spirit. Each brushstroke reflects a deep respect for horses and their long-standing role in our collective imagination, and in my own life. “
Caroline Staller
Sculpture
When I was young, my family purchased a pony named Mario. He had no bloodline paperwork, so my father requested we call him “Daddy’s Last Dollar” at horse shows. Mario taught me and countless children how to ride, never needed shoes, and only had one cold while we owned him.
Over the years we had a handful of other horses; feisty Midge, sweet Dottie, and eventually too smart Fritz. It was Fritz who was my fellow pea in a pod horse. A willing quarter horse out of reining stock, he took me all across in the little village of Corrales, NM and around the ditch-banks from the Rio Grande River.
We watched coyotes and roadrunners, found abandoned items aged in the desert sun, and spent many hours exploring anywhere and everywhere. Only once did he accidentally throw me from the saddle and run home. All my artwork and passion is influenced from my time with each horse, but especially Fritz.
As a biology major at New Mexico State University in 2011 (to pursue an equine veterinary career), I decided to take studio art classes on the side as extracurricular credits. Just for the experience and fun. Many encouraging words came from professors and eventually, this accumulated into a Biology and Fine Art degree with a Biochemistry minor in 2015.
Extending my reach, I began a Masters of Fine Art program at the University of Missouri. I was drawn to the philosophy and spirit of the professors who worked in ceramics and quickly switched from printmaking to ceramics within my first year and completed my studies in 2021. My mentors were Bede Clarke and Joseph Pintz.
Years away from horses in college and post-college life has left me with a longing that is only satiated with working in the ceramic studio. It reminds me of time in the stables. Not only with ceramics and horses are you left sweaty and covered in dirt by the end, but you similarly wrestle with something (or some horse) into the image or relationship you want. In both cases, it also shapes you.
My recent body of work is comprised of small-scale tableaus of reflective horses. I focus on the beauty in simple objects that are often weathered or aged which reminds me of my childhood exploring Corrales on horse-back. These works are designed to be in homes adorning bookshelves, table-tops, and wherever else one might find room for art and the reminder of beauty.
Outside the studio, I taught sculpture at Harvard Ceramics where I worked to encourage students to focus on a conversation with color, texture, and form and to approach problems in sculpture outside the standard ceramic routine that dominates the ceramic studio.
I currently work at my growing home studio as well as at Pucker Gallery in Boston’s Back Bay which includes an amazing collection pots including the work of Shoji Hamada and Brother Thomas Bezanson.
Deanna Nash
Pysanky Ukrainian Eggs
