The Mainstreet Staff
Frankie Johnson, Director | |
Frankie Johnson is an accomplished artist with over
40 years of
experience in painting with oils, pastels and watercolor. Frankie has taught drawing, oil and pastel painting at The Studio In
The Woods (Wauconda, Illinois), The Studio of Long Grove and
the Mainstreet Art Centre. In 1994 she opened the Mainstreet Art
Centre and has assembled a talented
staff of instructors over the years. She conducts
workshops in portrait and landscape painting at various locations such
as The Clearing in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, Dillmans in Lac Du Flambeau,
Wisconsin and the Mainstreet Art Centre. She studied art and design at the Art Institute of Chicago and William Harper College. Through her long association with the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, she has studied with distinguished artists such as Richard Schmid, David Leffel, Ted Goerschner, Ted Smuskiewicz, Clyde Aspevig and Scott Burdick. Frankie has participated in many juried exhibitions and plein air painting competitions and won numerous awards for her paintings through the years. Her work has appeared in shows and galleries all over the United States. She is currently represented by the Fine Line Designs Gallery in Ephraim, Wisconsin. and Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society. Visit her website to learn more and see her artwork: www.frankiejohnsonartstudio.com
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The Teachers
in alphabetical order:
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David Becker | |
David Becker studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago,
which is the reason that a large majority of his subject matter
comes from his life here in the city that he loves. Becker went into
illustrating for a major advertising agency and also started
teaching around the country, but always found time for his favorite
ambition, creating fine art paintings. David is the author of Watercolor
Composition Made Easy
and How
to Sketch with Watercolor.
He has reached Signature status in the Transparent
Watercolor Society of America,
and has won numerous awards for his work from watercolor societies
around the country. Visit his website: www.beckerart.net |
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Barb Benstein | |
Barb Benstein’s love of art started at an early age. She specializes in detailed pastel paintings of people and pets, as well as homes and landscapes. After working as a graphic artist for 10 years, Barb began painting full-time. Painting with pastels has always been her favorite medium. She loves the vibrancy of the colors and the richness of the texture when applied to sand paper. Barb has won many awards. Her commissioned paintings hang in Germany, Japan and Canada as well as throughout the United States.
Visit her website: www.artworkbybarb.com |
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Cameron Knutson | |
Cameron Knutson was drawn to visual art at a young age. He began private art lessons with local painting teachers and continued his education at College of Lake County where he earned an Associate’s in Fine Art specializing in oil painting (realism). He worked in Chicago teaching students of all ages and has displayed his artwork at galleries in Chicago, Wausau, and as a part of the Collective of Poets and Artists. Cameron seeks to help students execute their own vision, push color, and discover their creativity. Visit his website: www.cameronjon.com |
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John Markese | |
John has
been studying art since he was a young child and received a Bachelor
of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois in 2001. He specializes
in figurative art and portraiture in a variety of media, but most
notably, oil paint and pastels. He has a spontaneous style filled
with lively brush work. As a teacher, John emphasizes the
fundamentals of learning good technique and skills as students
begin. He helps students break down their paintings into manageable
parts: recognizing shapes, creating interest, and understanding
color. Visit his website: https://johnmarkese.com |
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Susan Ploughe | |
Susan Ploughe is an award-winning painter and enthusiastic
instructor who loves helping people to develop their skills. Her
work has been juried into many national exhibitions, and she has
earned Signature Status in both the American Impressionist Society
and Oil Painters of America. Susan's paintings and commissioned
portraits are in private and corporate collections and her artwork
has been featured in national art magazines. Visit her website: www.susanploughe.com |