in 2024 we’ve come together for a collaborative show from the Art House Dallas visual artist community, comprised of artists from across the DFW metroplex.
We believe that beauty shown through the arts, culture, and creation holds a powerful ability to form the way we see ourselves, the world, and our interaction with both. In light of this, we believe that observing beauty gives witness to something deep and life-giving—the Source and Sustainer of all creation.
For this juried show each artist submitted their favorite work, coming together to create a vibrant and diverse exhibit. For the Small Works component of the show, artists were asked to create a 12” x 12” work on the theme of Embodiment.
Purchasing Art from this exhibit supports both the artist, and Art House Dallas’ visual arts programming. 30% of proceeds from the sale of featured artist’s work and 100% percent of proceeds from the sale of Small Works support Art House Dallas.
Dawn Waters baker
Dawn was born and raised a missionary kid on the islands of the Philippines. She grew up under the shadow of an active volcano. In 1994 she moved to Dallas for college where she received her BA in Fine Arts from DBU, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1998. Soon after she married a mathematician, and they had three precious girls. In her free time, she likes to hike in beautiful landscapes, talk and pray with other artists and teach art.
Her art is collected by many businesses as well as private owners. Her pieces, “Release” and “To the Lowest Place” are installed in Archegos Offices, NY Central Park office. She is a Signature member of Artists of Texas. Dawn is affiliated with Waterfall Mansion and Gallery in New York, NY, Joseph Gierek Fine Art in Tulsa, OK and J Peeler Howell Gallery in Ft. Worth, TX. She was also selected as the 2015 Artist in Residence for Big Bend National Park, 2018 Artist in Residence for Gettysburg National Military Park and 2019-2020 Artist in Residence for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. She currently has a solo exhibition up at Irving Arts Center, Focus Gallery and Sheen Center for Thought and Culture in NYC.
“I like to think of my work as trying to capture the emotional landscape. I am not as
interested in what is literally there as much as what is felt through water, earth,
atmosphere, and sky. These are my visual attempts at translating our shared human story
through the metaphor of nature.
”
Through layering thin oil glazes, Dawn translates the emotional and spiritual essence of nature into landscapes. Water, earth, atmosphere, and sky become veiled glimpses into a deeper reality. Her work bridges tradition and contemporary, the physical and spiritual. Her upbringing in the Philippines, marked by both beauty and hardship, informs her exploration of the world’s inherent tension: light and dark, glory and earthliness.
Nathan Fan
Nathan Fan is an artist working mostly with ink, paper, and gold leaf to depict stories that inspire the imagination, particularly in the theme of faith and morals. He studied art at Biola University and began his practice in ink drawings while studying theology in graduate school. His approach to his art practice involves blending the elements of storytelling, academic research, devotional hagiography, theology, art history, and philosophy of aesthetics.
A primary goal in my work is to evoke a sense of wonder, whether by creating an image with a striking aesthetic or an intriguing composition by the use of monochromatic value, to capture a viewer's attention and invite them into a contemplative space. To quote Rilke, I want the viewer to think "I must change my life" upon interacting with these images.
The reason for this is because the lives of the saints reveal something incredible about the way we humans are capable of living. A saint's story is no longer theoretical: it is historical. A great life invites us to consider what we are doing with the one wild and precious life we have been given -- to realize what is truly possible with a human life.
Artistically speaking, I hope to provide spaces where the art can be viewed, with the particular context of contemplation -- which is why I love making art for the home or for the church. I eschew any sense of decorative art, which is why I am content to make an image strange, beguiling, or even grotesque. I want my images to serve as iconographic reminders of the ideas embodied in them -- such that the viewer can see the image everyday and build a bond of contemplation through the image to the realm of ideas and realities beyond images.
I am excited to participate with any group that honors art, the stories behind the art that is made, and seek to appreciate the art in a way that is deeper than mere aesthetics. The Art House community and the people who attend Art House shows are certainly people who value discovering and attending to the layers of depth in artistic works.
Sara Hill
Sara Hill is a local artist, author, nurse, wife, and mother. She joined the Art House Awaken Creativity Ft. Worth Writer’s group in 2018 and has since published a book and Bible study. In 2022, Sara launched a nonprofit with a mission to provide spiritual support to healthcare workers called Undercurrents Ministries. She has worked for Cook Children’s Medical Center for 12 years and has extensive experience in multiple pediatric subspecialties. When Sara is not painting, writing, running a nonprofit, or working for the arguably best children’s hospital in the world, she can be heard cheering her kids from the sidelines or, if you’re lucky, spotted in the wild at her local HEB.
Art, for me, is a journey of generosity and a delicious puzzle to solve. One puzzle to solve is, “How can art be sustainable for me?” I have used some unconventional means of crafting a sustainable art practice. One of those unconventional changes is to paint on recycled canvases. I look for discounted and soon-to-be-discarded canvas prints, often with frames, prep the canvas, and create a new and beautiful painting on something that was headed for the landfill. Each canvas I save is turned into a work of art that is given in the spirit of generosity. I’ve heard it said from Andrew Peterson that art is at its best when it is made in love for others. Each piece here is made in love with the hope of sparking joy, sharing beauty, and spreading generosity.
Denise Hohulin
I have always been creative, but tried to hide it. Growing up, it was something to be ashamed of. But then I had a daughter who loved to draw. In trying to find classes for her, I realized that I loved art, and that was ok. So I started making art late in life, but I am flourishing where I am now.
What Once Was
Cooking dinner, how will I get everything done today
No.
Gone.
Why did I rush
I read this story to her last night
So simple, so ordinary
For the last time.
"It is better to have loved and lost
than to have never loved at all."
You say that so easily
One more ashen hope.
Tim Hudson
Tim Hudson is a Dallas-based artist. With an extensive background in graphic design, he’s now focused on expressing personal and universal themes through abstract and impressionistic paintings. From small studies to large panels, Tim explores these themes through texture, color and form.
“The actions we take in our physical bodies mirror the posture of our hearts. In our spiritual lives, when we take a posture of bowing our head in prayer, or coming to our knees, or even placing color on a canvas, our mental image of God and our physical understanding of God are brought into closer union.”
This collection of recent paintings are broad meditations on God’s love expressed in our physical world. An empty tomb, a guiding star, or a paused river allowing access into the promised land — all represent His divine influence over our physical reality.
JUba
From cartoon doodles to abstract expressions, my artistic journey ignited in the heart of Dallas. My teenage years were filled with scribbling characters and worlds, planting the seeds of a creative life. After high school, graphic design blossomed as a passion, leading me to delve into college courses where art and communication intertwined. This became the fertile ground where I discovered a unique voice - abstract portraits and figures, embodying the beauty and complexity of human stories.
Though my path diverged from a formal art or graphics degree, it took a powerful turn towards social work. Earning both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the field led me to a deeply rewarding career supporting children within the child welfare system. Today, my life embraces a beautiful dual rhythm: the quiet, introspective world of artistic creation and the vibrant energy of community service. Both fuel my soul, one channeling raw emotions onto canvas, the other nurturing dreams and resilience in young hearts.
“Ultimately, my art aspires to be an invitation to introspection. I hope to inspire viewers to question the status quo, find solace and empowerment in exploring personal narratives, and discover the transformative power of beauty amidst vulnerability. ”
Nicki Licking
Nicki Licking works as a Creative Project Manager at Lime Media Group in Texas. She is passionate about making artwork that resonates with beholders and providing opportunities for others to encounter their creativity.
Miller Matlock
Miller Matlock is a designer and visual artist living and working in Dallas. An architect by trade, Miller's work methodically examines found relationships between grids, shape making, and their organic intersections. Using a variety of mediums, his work is often colorful and high contrast, creating pieces which are dynamic, abstract, and precise.
For Arthouse's annual exhibition, Miller has created a body or work which playfully considers the interaction of consciousness and spiritual identity. Using cyanotype prints and acrylic paint pens, Miller creates a series of work mimicking MRI scans of the brain, using bright color gradients to stand apart from a composition of deep blue shades. The result showcases the diversity of the mind, and mystery of the spirit dwelling within.
Rebecca Prince
Rebecca Prince, who lives in Irving, Texas, Discovered her love for oil painting in 2016. Although she primarily focuses on portraits, her main goal is to evoke emotions rather than simply portray a specific identity.
Rebecca made the leap to full-time artist in 2022. She now works in her home studio, using water-mixable oils as a safer alternative for both herself and the planet. She is dedicated to learning and constantly pushing the boundaries of medium and technique in her pursuit of creating her next masterpiece Rebecca’s art is about finding balance – a delicate interplay between realism and abstraction, where each brushstroke captures only what is essential.
These three paintings were created for a project in collaboration with Undercurrents Ministries. Sara Hill, a fellow creative at Art House Dallas, paired writers with visual artists to develop a guided journal for individuals in the healthcare industry. Each team was assigned a specific topic to focus on. I was partnered with Rachel Kim, and our topic is Loneliness/Isolation. The artworks depict some of the emotions associated with this theme. We aim to ultimately guide the viewer/reader to a place of hope. There will be at least two additional paintings, each accompanied by a piece of poetry or writing. I love being part of Art House Dallas because of projects like this. The collaboration, sense of community, and personal growth all help me become a better artist and a better person.
Kenna Boles Prior
I began years ago as a freelance designer for craft periodicals, with over 150 published pieces in 5 years. I then began working in fine arts, picking up classes, training, & workshops (including 2 weeks in Italy). I was in the top 150 artists to watch in 2008's Dallas Art Slam, continuing in numerous shows per year with awards. My printmaking focus began 10 years ago & continues. I have served on the board of Texas Visual Arts Association & currently I am the BHS Art Director/curator (8 years), including project manager for a 3,000 sq ft indoor mural (3 year), serve on the board of Texas Jewish Arts Association as director of partnerships, & an active member of ArtHouse Dallas. I am a regular to PrintAustin, Deep Ellum Art Fair, annual steamroller events & more. I work from my Cedar Hill studio-The Purple Farmhouse, historically restored.. I recently completed a residency at Dogwood Canyon including a solo show. I am currently exploring cross medias with photogravures.
“My creativity has made me a survivor of life or maybe the abuses of childhood forced a creativity in order to survive. Either way, they are connected, this conflict of beauty & reality exist together. It has been my journey sorting through the details trying to make sense of it all & releasing it through my art. This journey is reflected in various ways throughout my work, a mirror of my history, my conflicts.”
Along the way, other stories & journeys appear as viewers and patrons share openly or through pain. I will never know every story, but I can show respect & honor to that which is untold or cannot be told. This current series called passages is a collection of 35 mm photos of an abandoned house next to my studio. The original family long gone, the house was visited or lived in or vandalized by the homeless, drug dealers, bored kids & others, like myself, curious of what is left. Through windows, doorways, halls, & even trails leading to the house have been many. Passages is recognizing those who have walked, or peered into these spaces & the stories I do not know.
The process continues analog in that the negatives are double exposed onto paper in the lab creating an eerie affect where light & dark occasionally share space. The prints are then transferred onto polymer plates & inked for photogravures. Chine' Colle' is included on many of these as an added expression of possibilities.
Russ Reed
Russ Reed has been painting for over 30 years and is especially interested in stories of transformation. His major creative influences include artists from the baroque era, especially Rembrandt, Rubens, and Zurbarán and also Lucian Freud's small portraits. When not painting, Russ enjoys hanging out with his six wonderful children and their families, listening to jazz, and occasionally traveling with his wife Terri.
Bree Smith
Bree Smith is a Dallas-based multidisciplinary visual fine artist. Bree has a BFA in studio art and creates mixed media paintings, sculpture, and murals. She uses pastel and neon color palettes to communicate her childlike hope for humanity’s future and to imagine new worlds yet to be discovered.
Bree has been exhibiting locally and nationally since 2015, and her work has been collected throughout the U.S. and Canada. She has been interviewed and featured by several publications, including The Create! Magazine blog and podcast, PIKCHUR Magazine, Dallas Style & Design Magazine, and ArtFolio Annual 2020.
Bree’s first curatorial exhibition, “Realms of Reality” opened this summer at Deep Ellum Art Company and features all female artists. Bree also started a sustainable goods company called Planet Joy, which offers apparel and accessories for artists and art lovers.
Nate Shorman
Nate is a film photographer based out of Dallas. Born and raised in Texas, he was first inspired to take photos in his younger years on trips to the landscapes of the American West (the Rockies, Zion, Big Bend), and now spends several months out of the year traveling to areas of interest for his work.
His photographs focus on the intersection of vastness, wonder, and the scarcity of moments. He has a passion for the holistic process of searching for, getting to, and capturing perspectives that communicate how small & finite we feel in the midst of The Mystery.
“
Whether after years of preparation or maybe just seconds of inspiration, I’ve spent the lion’s share of my twenties chasing the feeling of rounding the last corner at the end of a long hike, stepping into a vast perspective that feels transcendent. These are the moments I feel most alive — moments that remind me to look for scarcity in the everyday, for it is, after all, quite a magical thing to be alive, no?”
Photographed at sunset on top of the Sahale arm in the North Cascades National Park.
The storm had just cleared at the base of the Matterhorn in the Swiss alps, clouds giving way to reveal her stark beauty in the perfect light.
Overlooking Flateyri, in the Westfjords of Iceland, with an afternoon storm approaching.
Taken at sunrise from the top of Vesper peak in the central cascade mountains of Washington state.
My work in the past year has been exploring what I label as, “The Mystery” — learning to be grounded in the midst of unknowing, seeing what it feels like to be human in contrast to seemingly ageless natural landscapes. Footprints of our presence against the subject, Mystery. I find God throughout this mystery, and it in God; in some ways they may be the same.
This collection of work was photographed over the last year on my mamiya6, a medium format film rangefinder from the early 90’s. The film was then developed at the lab, scanned at my home studio, and fused to aluminum using a sublimation process to create the images you see on display.
Allison Streett
Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Allison Streett is a sculptor who works in clay to be cast in bronze. Through the language of the human form Allison tells stories of human suffering and hope, alienation and connection, doubt and faith -- the broken beauty of the human experience. Her work is often focused on the feminine and maternal perspective of war, displacement, discrimination, and prejudice.
Allison has received local and national recognition for her figurative sculpture and drawings in many group exhibitions and competitions. In 2022 she was awarded the Harriet W. Frishmuth Memorial Award for Bronze Sculpture at the 125th Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Open Exhibition in New York City. Her sculptures were featured in the 88th Annual National Sculpture Society Awards Exhibition in 2021, Emerging Stars in American Sculpture hosted by the National Sculpture Society at Brookgreen Gardens, and the Portrait Society of America’s Tri-State Competition in 2019. Among her awards and honors she was awarded First Place in the Resolution: Peace and Unity show in Dallas, Best in Show at the 2019 Texas Sculpture Association Members Show, and the Award for Excellence at Conception Dallas in 2019. As a recent college graduate she was one of ten sculptors selected to participate in the 24th Annual National Sculpture Society Figure Modeling Competition, and placed first in sculpture in the 2002 Michigan Small College Art Competition.
How the Light Gets In
Bronze
11H x 13.5 x 11D
Ring the bells that still can ring,
Forget your perfect offering,
There is a crack in everything,
That’s how the light gets in.
-- Leonard Cohen, Anthem
The rising figure has visible cracks on her body, which are emphasized by grinding away the patina and revealing the bronze underneath. The kinstugi artist fills the cracks between shards of pottery with gold, drawing attention to the flaws and increasing the beauty and value of the vessel. Likewise, this sculpture is a reflection of my determination to resist the paralysis of perfectionism and give the offering that I am able to give, to embrace my broken places as testimonies to hope.
Beside Still Waters
Bronze
10H x 9W x 13D
This piece is inspired by the 23rd Psalm and is meant to communicate the contentment, security, and peace that comes from being aware of the faithfulness of God.
Beneath a Shared and Troubled Ceiling
Bronze
26 x 7 x 11.5
This sculpture is inspired by the following poem about the Irish Troubles by Padraig O Tuama applied to racial injustice in the United States. The figure has wounds which have been cut all the way through the casting, showing the current and generational harm he suffers; his right hand is clenched in a fist to show his determination to fight injustice; his left hand reaches out and he is beginning to walk forward, showing hope and determination that our relationships will be set right.
Not Yet
Pádraig Ó Tuama
‘You’re too young
to know about The Troubles,’
the peaceman said.
And the youngman said:
f a t h e r s h o t d e a d
m o t h e r f e l l a p a r t
b r o t h e r f e l l i n t o h i m s e l f
o t h e r b r o t h e r s e n t t o l i v e w i t h o t h e r s
a n d m e i s m o t h e r e d e v e r y t h i n g
i w a s f a r m e d a r o u n d
a n d n o w y e a r s l a t e r
w e h a v e f o u n d o u r s e l v e s b a c k b e n e a t h
a s h a r e d a n d t r o u b l e d c e i l i n g.
Not yet.
No—one’s too young
to know about The Troubles.
Small Works Artists
100% of sales for Small Works go to support Art House Dallas Visual Arts Programming.
Row One
Sarah Laird Oil and Water
Acrylic on Canvas
Artist Note: The idea of spirit and body, the two are very different substances, the intermingling of which doesn’t seem to work. However, when they mix it results in something new. Though the physical body and spirit may be portrayed as two separate things, for the time we are on earth they are intermixed into one. Beautiful and messy as it may be.
Sarah Laird A River Through You
Acrylic on Canvas
Artist Note:
Though you are a body, you are also water.
A river flows through you, vital and thriving.
Our bodies, our own and not,
A connection to life itself.
Catherine Wetzell The Gardener
Acrylic
Artist Note: I call it this because I remember the passage John 20:15 when Mary looked right into Jesus’s eyes and saw a gardener. This brings me back to Genesis and how he was in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. Which brings me to this Hebrew phrase Tikkun Olam the restoring of all things.
Jasmine Fain Bridging Moments Through Connection
Photography
Artist Statement: This photograph speaks to the essence of love, support, and faithfulness. Just as bridges link land masses, the father and daughter’s clasped hands showcase how even the smallest acts of togetherness—like walking side by side—can inspire a larger sense of solidarity, collaboration, and care in the world around us.
Randy Heffner Seeds at Sunset, Iceland
Photography
Artist Statement: By a small Icelandic church, I saw something vital. Paul said, about the body of a dead Jesus-follower, "What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable." -- Sown: A cemetery is not a graveyard, but a garden.
Rebecca Patton Forming and Filling
Alcohol Ink on Yupo paper
Artist Statement: One of my favorite quotes is from Makoto Fujimara: “God the Artist communicates to us first, before God the Lecturer.” This piece is inspired by the image of God the Artist who forms and fills the earth.
Miller Matlock In the Deep
Mixed Media
Artist Statement: Miller Matlock is a designer and visual artist living and working in Dallas. An architect by trade, Miller's work methodically examines found relationships between grids, shape making, and their organic intersections. Using a variety of mediums, his work is often colorful and high contrast, creating pieces which are dynamic, abstract, and precise.
Tim Hudson Body | Blood
Acrylic on Canvas
Artist Statement: “Body | Blood” is a meditation on the sacrament of Communion. The redemption of sins cost a body broken and innocent blood to be poured out. We remember His broken body with the bread. We remember the His Blood poured out for us with the cup. By doing this we proclaim his death and claim Victory In Jesus.
Lorinda Bourn Untitled
Mixed Media
Artist Statement: Lorinda Bourn is a local artist who is returning to painting after a career and motherhood. Her B.F.A. is from SMU. She paints intuitively, exploring her love of God's creation, inspired by wild places. Her medium is acrylic on birch panel.
Nicki Licking Untitled
Row Two
Quel Henson Onyx Waves
Acrylic on Canvas
Artist Statement: Many people associate a sight, smell, & sound with a specific moment in time; a birthday, that one road trip you took to your Grandma's house looking out of the window sightseeing, the day you met an important person. This painting is inspired by a family trip to Jamaica where countless flame of the woods flowers reminded me of my own flame in a sea of life.
Juba Sweetest Embodiment
Digital Media on Canvas
Artist Statement: Juba is an artist, social worker, and speaker working in Dallas. Juba’s visual art consists of abstract portraits and figures, embodying the beauty and complexity of human stories.
Dawn Waters Baker John the Baptist
Oil on Metal Leaf
Artist Statement: I like to think of my work as trying to capture the emotional landscape. I am not as interested in what is literally there as much as what is felt through water, earth, atmosphere, and sky. These are my visual attempts at translating our shared human story through the metaphor of nature.
Denise Houlin Ensconced
Photography
Artist Statement:
To be alive
tragedy, comedy
heaven and hell
cruelty or kindness
fragile yet resilient
one small puzzle piece in the vast frame of reality
the temple houses the sacred.
Bree Smith Fractals No.1
Mixed Media
Artist Statement: Bree Smith is a multidisciplinary artist working in mixed media paintings, sculptures, and murals. Bree’s work highlights themes of futuristic abstraction and surrealism and serves visual narratives, inviting viewers to contemplate the intersection of imagination and reality.
Wesley McMillan AI in the Valley
Digital Art
Artist Statement: The phrase “AI in the Valley” evokes a profound intersection of technology and mortality. This concept can be explored in various ways, including how AI can assist in dealing with grief and memorializing loved ones.
Obinna Jon-Ubabuco Issac Meditating
Colored Pencil, oil pastel, oil on wood
Artist Statement: Obinna creates works that are centrally focused on the human figure but explore emotional, psychological, and theological themes through symbolic imagery. While sometimes rendered in sculpture, charcoal, watercolor and oil pastel, he primarily works in graphite.
Julia Gilreath I Am Water
Acrylic on Canvas
Artist Statement: This piece was inspired by the following excerpt from On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.
“What were you before you met me?”
“I think I was drowning”
“And what are you now?”
“Water.”
Gwen Meharg Praying in Secret
Medium
Artist Statement: Embodiment can technically be accomplished. Living out Embodiment is significantly more difficult. Handwriting is one path to bringing together heart, head, and prayer.
Ashton Leath Dreaming
Watercolor
Angela Pitts Upheld
Mixed Media
Rebecca Prince Skylark
Mixed Media
Artist Statement: Although she primarily focuses on portraits, her main goal is to evoke emotions rather than simply portray a specific identity.