Cover Art by Melanie Richads AET? is a quarterly magazine of the arts.
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Note: We hope you enjoy these four artist. Each differ and excel in their craft. Please visit the Alors gallery, to view images in full scale.
Eric wallis
figurative Artist
Eric started painting at the age of seven along with his father, Kent R. Wallis. The two painted together scenes of simple, quiet, yet soulful scenery. Eric became a child prodigy at the side of his more experienced father.
Eric received a music scholarship at Utah State University but quickly changed direction and embarked upon an education in painting. He studied with Adrian Van Suchtelen, an extraordinary figurative artist with a traditional discipline at hand. Glen Edwards from Art Center, also with a traditional approach, guided Eric in a loose, impressionistic style. Figure painting was the emphasis at USU. Eric received a BFA in painting in 1992.
Eric has been asked to participate in many group shows including the prestigious Peppertree Art Show at the Peppertree Ranch in Santa Ynes, California. Other group shows include the East Meets West show in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Tri-cities Art Show in Richland, Washington, The Phippen Museum Art Show in Prescott, Arizona, and the Celebration of Fine Art in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The popularity of Eric’s work hasn’t kept him from reaching. In 1997, he was selected to study with two of the finest artists in America, Richard Schmid and Burton Silverman in Loveland, Colorado. More discipline and traditional technique was stressed and Eric began re-tooling skills to include drawing, value, and chiaroscuro. This emphasis, in addition to the color and texture of the impressionists, left Eric’s paintings to higher levels of subjectivity and emotion. Now substantive, the work is being recognized by the finest collectors across the United States and reaching across oceans to England, Italy, Australia, and Turkey. Publishers are taking notice as well. Many of Eric’s paintings are scheduled for publication.
Eric’s career supports his family of five children and his wife of 17 years. To visit his online gallery, click- Here.
melanie richards
Graphic Artist/ designer
Melanie is an artist who's in love with art and drawing. She lives in North London with her children. She owes her artistic drive to her mother, who is also an artist; she did not truly take her art to another level until after she opened a Myspace account two years ago. As soon as she had uploaded some of her work, the public took note. People were asking her to draw their portraits, especially the artists from the UK Grime Music scene. Soon she began building a portfolio of work which focused mainly on the artists with whom she'd built a strong following and their supporters.
Musicians and fans were now requesting her to create BFD-T-shirts and hooded tops for them to wear on their shows and music videos. The artist went as far as to participate in a fashion show she produced for a live event in Stratford where models wore samples of her clothing line. Eventually, Melanie had enough artwork to produce her first major project—The UK Artists T-Shirts—a collage of all the artists she had drawn. This proved to be popular and she's now in the process of creating her second UK Artists T-shirts line.
Most recently she's been approached by Channel U in London—a supportive music station for the Grime genre. They've asked her to display her creations on the set of a new pilot program entitled, 'The 'Illest Show'. Melanie continues to support the UK musicians with her art, and plans are in the making for her work to be displayed in galleries among her peers.
What's next? With all these projects in the works, this young artist will inevitably continue to branch out, working with projects involving other artists. To broaden her horizons further, Melanie is thinking of expanding her clothing line further, and perhaps one day . . . a Bare-Faced chain of shops.
What's to stop Melanie Richards? Absolutely, nothing.
regina lafay
photographer/ photoshop Artist
Born in Connecticut, raised in Southern California, and now living in Las Vegas, Regina Lafay never got a sense of home. She never felt attached to anyone or any place––that's slowly changing. She's an artist by trade, and photographer hobbyist.
She has always taken after her mother; much to her father's chagrin. As the only girl in a group of boys and having little in common with her brothers, she drew to pass the time.
Her father once told her that she wasn't very good at it and would never earn a living from it, but her mother was continually encouraging and inspiring her. She fascinated her. They divorced when she was 11 and thereafter her father began molesting her until he finally remarried three years later. Two more years later, after being late to dinner he beat the daylights out of her, so she moved out.
In 1987, at the age of 17, she was rejected by Otis Parsons School of Art and Design in L.A. Following their advice she took a drawing course at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. She got an A. By this time her mother who had been teaching her photography and introduced her to the Nevada Camera Club. For sometime, she lost all interest in anything other than photography. She became vice president of the club in a short time and with her mother held courses for the rest of the members. Within three years she went from beginner status to master's. Finally, she was feeling good about herself.
Soon she began painting on her photo prints and winning awards, while at the same time receiving harsh criticism on her art but the artist in her wouldn't give up. So, in the early 90s she began toying with Adobe Photoshop, which is forever changing her world. 
Due to Fibromyalgia, Bipolar and other related illnesses, Regina is on partial Disability. But she uses this time to practice and perfect her work. Her most exciting achievement was being approached by DreamWorks Studios and having one of her artworks featured in the movie––The Ring Two. Lafay's work can be viewed: Here
