Ohio-born oil painter Herb Roe creates surreal scenes that are actually grounded in reality. Recent work documents the Courir de Mardi Gras, a traditional pre-Lenten bash attended by Cajun and Creole residents of his adopted home of Louisiana. In these celebrations, revelers wear costumes “drawn from medieval traditions, frontier era depictions of Native Americans and political and social commentary,” the artist says. Partially disguised, the members of these parties bring a lively and uninhibited energy to the proceedings.
“My most recent work is an exploration of the mythic qualities of the festival and its modern continuation,” Roe says, in a statement. “I search to portray the otherworldliness of the day by placing the participants into a dream like setting of spreading moss draped oaks and vibrant splashes of color. This lets me explore the psychological implications of the holiday from my status as an outsider; lending more of an impact to the brightly colored costumes by contrasting them against their background environments.”
The artist attended Columbus College of Art and Design for a period before becoming an apprentice for esteemed mural artist Robert Dafford. He’s since worked on several mural projects of his own.
Examining masculinity and power, Scott Scheidly’s paintings re-contextualize real and fictional villains. Elsewhere in Scheidly’s practice, he injects the grotesque into floral motifs, further underscoring the painter’s knack for satire and subverting expectations. The artist’s humor is also evident in his short bio: “At age four I attempted my first art project by devouring a 10 pack of crayons thus turning my diaper into a Jackson Pollock.”
There is a beautiful monstrosity about nature. While it can be sublimely peaceful and full of life, it can instantly turn violent. These opposing truths are a recurring theme in the dramatic oil paintings of Australian artist 
At once lush and eerie, Sarah Slappey's oil paintings offer vague limbs and organs against natural environments. Of her distinct visual language, she’s said “I wanted to build a world from the bottom up.” The South Carolina native, now residing in Brooklyn, New York, has recently shown these scenes at venues in New York City and Switzerland.
For the past few decades, New York City-based painter