Five Artists on My Mind This Week
- Isabelle Barker
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Artists: Gabriel Schmitz, Abel Macias, Amy Harms, Jacq Kino, Marcy Vreeland
Gabriel Schmitz
Gabriel Schmitz, a German-born painter, is celebrated for his expressive figurative art that delves into the complexities of human presence. Born in Dortmund in 1970, he studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and now resides in Barcelona.
Influenced by German Expressionism and the works of British painters like Frank Auerbach and Francis Bacon, Schmitz's style is enriched by contemporary dance, film, and theater. His paintings capture a unique blend of motion and stillness, creating a sense of suspended time.
Travel significantly informs his work, with sketchbooks from his journeys grounding his art in real experiences and subtly reflecting diverse cultures. These influences emerge in gestures and atmosphere rather than explicit scenes.
Schmitz has exhibited extensively across Europe, with notable shows in Barcelona, Paris, and London, and has gained recognition at art fairs in the U.S. and Asia. Since 2015, he has participated in artist residencies in the U.S. and collaborates with dance companies, continually seeking fresh inspiration.
Abel Macias
Abel Macias is a Los Angeles painter and muralist whose work feels like stepping into a storybook filled with bold color, folklore, and Southwest charm. Blending Mexican heritage with a contemporary twist, his art ranges from dreamy landscapes to eye catching murals. Whether on canvas or a city wall, Macias brings warmth, imagination, and a touch of magic to everything he creates.
Amy Harms
Amy Harms mixes her two passions—music and art—into unique paper-weaving pieces. She paints on vinyl record covers, cuts them up, and weaves them together with original paintings to create fresh, layered artworks. This process reflects her love of remixing the past into something new and alive.
A Midwest native, Amy recently moved her studio from Chicago to Tennessee. She has a music degree, teaches piano, studied interior design, and has worked running galleries and consulting on art for hospitality projects. Her work is a vibrant blend of sound, texture, and story.
Jacq Kino
Jacq Kino builds his paintings like playful assemblies, inspired by the way Robert Rauschenberg combined real-world objects into art. He layers graffiti, figures, silhouettes, and found materials to create bold works full of energy and stories.
With a background in graphic design, Jacq’s paintings balance sharp lines and vibrant color, making each piece feel both modern and alive. He also enjoys working with metal, creating large sculptures that add a monumental dimension to his creative world.
Marcy Vreeland
Marcy Vreeland sees painting and collage as a way to capture the invisible moments around us—light, sound, energy, and movement. Inspired by her walks in the Texas hill country, floral design, and travels, she creates abstract works that break down and rebuild nature’s details into new forms. Her process blends delicate layers of paint and cut paper to explore texture, rhythm, and flow.
Marcy holds a BFA from Baylor University and brings years of experience in floral and event design to her art, adding a unique sense of composition and balance. Now working full time from her studio in Fredericksburg, Texas, she creates pieces that feel like a quiet dance of rest, grace, and light—inviting viewers to slow down and notice the subtle beauty around them.
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