you know it is time to take a break from a blog topic when you’re starting to annoy yourself with your own posts, so this will be my last post about the visual arts for a while. it is going to be tough for me to refrain from such posts since, if you have been reading my posts or have taken a peek at my website -- www.jodigallivan.com, you likely have realized that i am obsessed with the visual arts and their ability to enhance your home and life. and please know that while i haven’t given equal time to the other forms of art—literary, performing, and culinary, i think they are as important as the visual arts to home and life and am grateful for all of the talented artists in denver who share their gifts with us on a daily basis.

my last visual arts post will feature one of denver’s treasures, the art students league of denver, and its annual summer art market, which will be held this saturday and sunday.

modeled after the famous art students league of new york, the art students league of denver - www.asld.org - opened its doors in 1987 with a handful of recognized artists teaching roughly 100 students. today, over 700 students each month benefit from the teachings of over 90 diverse nationally and internationally recognized artists. the nonprofit organization emphasizes inclusion and serves students of all abilities and ages.

this weekend, the art students league of denver will be hosting its 20^th annual summer art market. if you can attend only one art festival each year in denver, THIS IS THE ONE. the summer art market includes works from more than 270 members, students, and faculty artists, from emerging to professional, as well as art activities for the kids, music, and a newly added wine garden. and my favorite part is that much of the art is affordable. this post will feature some of my favorite artists, past and present, from the summer art market. if you end up attending this event, please let me know which artists were your favorites.

artist no. 1: sara sisun – www.sarasisun.com.  sara is a denver native who, after earning a ba in studio arts from stanford and an mfa from the san francisco art institute, now lives and paints in san francisco. sara’s works were featured at the summer art market from 2001 – 2011, and in 2008, she won “best of show,” which is the year we acquired the painting above.  the painting was one in a series of self portraits that sara did from photocopies taken with sara’s face against the glass of a copy machine. every time i see the painting, it makes me smile.

artist no. 2: liz mccombs – www.lizmccombs.com. liz grew up in rural colorado and currently resides in beautiful manitou springs. i first saw liz’ work at the summer art market in 2009, and while i fell in love instantly with her whimsical yet slightly dark pieces, we didn’t purchase anything. the entire year thereafter, i thought about her work and made a beeline to her booth in 2010 to purchase the piece above along with another. i was on the fence about a third piece, but ultimately passed…until 2011 after i once again thought about that piece for the entire year prior.

artist no.3: theresa haberkorn – www.theresahaberkorn.com. theresa haberkorn is a woodblock printmaker based in boulder. her art form is the earliest printmaking technique, dating back to the 3^rd century in china. check out her 11-step printing process on her website; so much work goes into each piece, and the results are phenomenal.

artist no.4: ken stock. this acrylic painting was a find at the 2004 summer art market. i haven’t been able to track down ken stock on the internet, but i never tire of seeing this painting and its wonderfully distressed metal frame.

artist no.5: chantal bancilhon. this acrylic painting was my first ever purchase at the art students league of denver’s summer art market. the year was 2001, and something about the painting spoke to me—i think it was the texture the artist was able to create with the paint strokes and layering, which are enhanced when the light reflects off of the piece. in every one of my homes, i’ve hung the painting in my kitchen to remind myself that i don’t need to eat that second (or third...) cookie even when my stomach and brain are telling me otherwise.

i hope the sampling of artists presented above piqued your interest enough that you'll stop by the art students league of denver's 20th annual summer art market this weekend. if you do, please share your favorite artists with us!