An American contemporary jewelry designer, painter and creative teacher, Anita Cohen has been a long-time member of the Crealdé community as a Fellowship Artist and Painting and Drawing Program and Young Artist Program faculty member.  Having grown up in the boroughs outside New York City, she studied teaching at Queens College and art at Adelphi University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree.  She relocated to the mountains of western Virginia and then to Central Florida where she earned her certification as an elementary through high-school art teacher.  Cohen has been teaching and inspiring youth to create and find their own art path for over 20 years, all the while continuing to explore new techniques and perfect her craft and produce ongoing commissioned work.  As an educator, Cohen seeks to continually expand herself as an artist, learning copper repoussé, printmaking, acrylic and watercolor, and has been certified in Precious Metal Clay (PMC), Level II.  Her awards and acknowledgments include being a featured artist in Orlando Magazine and Florida International Magazine, receiving the Crealdé School of Art Board of Director’s Purchase Award for the Juried Student Exhibition, and receiving “Artist of the Month” for North Orange Library in Orlando.

An experienced artist and art educator, Catherine Hempel creates representational paintings in oils either en plein air or in the studio in a traditional manner, utilizing different techniques such as grisaille underpaintings, complementary underpaintings, or a combination of direct painting and glazing techniques. Hempel earned her degree in Fine/Studio Arts from the University of Central Florida in 1985. She was invited to join the Fellowship Program at Crealdé School of Art in 2000 and manages the Paint & Drawing Fellowship team until she joined the faculty in 2009.  She teaches classes for Crealdé at the Jessie Brock Community Center in Winter Garden, where she and her family have been long-time residents.  Boosted by a 2007 United Artists of Central Florida Professional Development Grant, Hempel actively participates in plein air events and festivals throughout Central Florida, winning multiple awards.  She is a member of The Florida Painters, the Winter Garden Art Association and Oil Painters of America.

Known for his lush paintings that reveal his intimate knowledge of the land, water and architecture, Don Sondag grew up in Winter Park, and is active in the plein air community.  He has participated in the Winter Park Paint Out at the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens every year since its 2009 inception, winning the Artists’ Choice Award in 2016, given to the best body of work.  Sondag received his B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design.  He also has studied painting and portraiture at the National Academy of Design and Art Student League in New York City.  In addition to painting commissioned portraits and landscapes from his space in the McRae Art Studios, he teaches portraiture and painting at Crealdé School of Art, where he joined the faculty in 1990.  He also has taught at Seminole College, Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Feature Animation.  In addition to his portraits, landscapes and still lifes, Sondag is best known for his commissioned portraits of local community leaders.  Commissions include educational and business leaders for Rollins College including venerated children’s television host Fred Rogers, the University of Central Florida, Tupperware Corp., Seminole State College, the Dr. P. Phillips Foundation and Massey Services, Inc.  His paintings have been featured on the posters for the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival and Casa Feliz.

A national award winning artist and graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, Patti Shistle’s still lifes, landscapes and commissioned portraits capture the profound character and essence of her subjects. Her paintings are collected internationally and are in numerous public and private collections.  Her awards include: The Catherine Lorillard Wolf Art Club, New York, Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX, Allied Artist of America New York, Oil Painters of America and Watson Guptill Publication Award, Academic Art Association.  Patricia continues her studies with modern masters and loves teaching as a form of learning. Her workshops have been presented to the Disney Imagineers, Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Northlight Gallery, Kennebunkport, MA, and many others.  Her work is represented by The Gallery in New Castle, Brunswick, GA.  She has been a Crealdé faculty member since 2020.

A Central Florida art educator since 1992 at Crealdé School of Art, Valencia College and Rollins College, Dennis Schmalstig, earned a B.F.A. from Wright State University in 1983 and an M.F.A. in painting from the University of Delaware in 1987.  He has exhibited his work since 1982 in commercial and university galleries, and in national competitions.  He has had one-man exhibitions at the L.B. Jones and Susan Isaacs galleries in Wilmington, Delaware, at the Rikes Gallery at the University of Dayton, at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art, and at the Daytona State College Fine Art Gallery.  He has participated in small group shows such as “Representations” at Helio Galleries in New York, “Visionary Artists” and “Stories and Gestures” at the Jenkins Gallery at Crealdé School of Art in Winter Park, Florida.  His work has been reviewed by Victoria Donohue in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philip Bishop in the Orlando Sentinel and Patricia Madden in the Orlando Weekly.

Since moving to Orlando in 1983, Sadler has dedicated his efforts toward capturing the light, color, and mood of the Central Florida landscape. The intense light, combined with the natural beauty of the many lakes, rivers, and parks of the area provide a never-ending source of inspiration. His paintings come to life as a celebration of this beauty found in nature, sometimes exuberant, at other times more subtle. Receiving his BFA at Auburn University, Sadler’s education included the study of oil painting that he considers of utmost value with instructor Jack Dempsey at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He also attended the School of Visual Arts in New York. Since that time he has studied the work of a variety of artists that have had different influences on his work. Sadler feels a pressing desire and necessity to paint each day. He feels that the door is just opening to the world of revealing all that is possible for him through his artwork.

A new member to the Painting & Drawing faculty, Gary Rupp first studied Studio Art and Plein Air painting at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. Over ten years ago he started working in pastels and has been instructed by Terri Ford, Albert Handell, Maggie Price, Doug Dawson and Michael Chesley Johnson. Gary is the current President of the Appalachian Pastel Society (APS) and has recently been awarded Signature Member status of APS.

In December 2017, Gary was very grateful to be selected by The Pastel Journal as one of seven international artists to watch in the coming year. His paintings have been shown in juried international exhibitions at The Salmagundi Club in New York City; The Bascom in Highlands, NC; The Cornwall Center in Charlotte, NC and the International Association of Pastel Societies in Albuquerque, NM. He was recently invited as one of thirteen Florida landscape artists to participate in an exhibition entitled “Fabulous Florida” held at the Ocean Gallery in Flagler Beach, FL.

Beth is inspired by American impressionists, and endeavors to capture the beauty of our Florida waterways and wildlife using traditional oil paint and methods. Her work has been exhibited at Leu Gardens, the Art League of Daytona Beach, the Casselberry Art House, and the Mt. Dora Center for the Arts. She is currently a member of Studio 807 on Virginia Drive in Orlando, and teaches oil painting and color classes at the Crealdé School of Art.

Experienced in engaging seniors and youth, art educator Fabiola Hansen is a welcome inspiration to the students she teaches through the Outreach Programs offered by Crealdé School of Art, including the Hands-on Art Sampler Classes at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center and Easter Seals Daybreak Program at the Miller Center in Winter Park. Hansen earned her degree in Art Education from the University of Central Florida, and she has been teaching at Crealdé since 1998. Throughout the years, Hansen has continued her art studies, taking courses in Brazil, Italy and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She has exhibited her work in art galleries throughout the United States and Brazil. Locally her work has been seen at Casselberry City Hall, Orlando Science Center and Barnett Bank.

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