Wisconsin-born painter Bethann Moran-Handzlik creates expressive, lyrical paintings grounded in direct observation and memory. Working outdoors in every season and also in the studio, she captures fleeting, poetic moments with joyous brushwork and a deep sensitivity to light and form. As she describes it, “There are these phenomenally poetic surprises everywhere… I try to tune my antenna with nuance so I won’t lose the capacity to see them, even if briefly.”

Her subjects range from winter forests to sunlit gardens and intimate still lifes, reflecting both attentive observation and emotional resonance. Whether painting in the field or recalling a moment from memory, Moran-Handzlik’s work is an act of presence, honoring the vitality of life in all its beauty and impermanence.

BEFORE THE SNOW

Oil on Linen,

20 x 16” (Image)

26 x 22” (Framed)

“The painting, the subject, and I are all conditioned to the same effects of cold, changing light, unexpected events…a gust of wind, a bird’s movement, animal sounds. This is why I paint from observation and memory, because I desire a relationship with the subject.”

-Bethann Moran-Handzlik

ZINNIAS AND QUINCE

Oil on Linen Mounted on Panel,

12 x 12” (Image)

19 x 19” (Framed)

“I’m striving to paint enduring images that are both personal and simultaneously tap into the universal visual, tactile language of paint.”

-Bethann Moran-Handzlik

LET’S DO IT AGAIN

Oil on Linen,

12 x 12” (Image)

13 x 13” (Framed)

Jeffrey Ripple is an accomplished Wisconsin painter known for his finely rendered still lifes, portraits, and landscapes. His work explores the beauty and mystery of nature beyond mere observation, guided by a refined sensitivity to color, texture, and light. With confident, graceful brushwork, Ripple reveals a deeper understanding of nature’s structure and the rich variety within his subjects. These highly detailed paintings often take months to complete and are held in private collections across the country.

LIFE IN SEPTEMBER

Oil on Paper

19 x 16” (Image)

30 x 26 1/2” (Framed)

“Taking subjects primarily from my surroundings, I have been concerned with texture and color within compositions that I hope to achieve a strong sense of light and balance.”

-Jeffrey Ripple

FIRST STUDY FOR PLUMS AND GARDEN FLOWERS

Oil on Paper

12 x 12” (Image)

19 x 19” (Framed)

“My primary influences are in Spanish seventeenth-century painting, botanical art from all periods, and Asian painting.”

-Jeffrey Ripple

ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Oil on Panel

9 x 12” (Image)

10 1/8 x 13 1/4” (Framed)

Mary Alice Wimmer draws inspiration from Victorian cabinets of curiosities, creating watercolor paintings and silverpoint drawings that reflect her fascination with the natural world. Her recent large-scale watercolors feature dark, atmospheric backgrounds reminiscent of Dutch portraiture, set against lush, vivid depictions of living creatures and natural remnants. These works evoke contemporary Vanitas, offering a quiet meditation on the fragility of life.

A highly skilled silverpoint artist, Wimmer embraces this rare, early Renaissance technique to further express her interest in natural history. She holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is the recipient of numerous painting and teaching awards. Her work is held in both private and public collections, including the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Chazen Museum of Art, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, among others.

BURL AND BRASS

Graphite on Bristol Board

21 1/2 x 27” (Image)

31 1/2 x 37” (Framed)

“I have always been intrigued by the strange beauty in nature - the tentacles of vines, sea creatures, nests, zoological creatures, whether living or the remains of the living.”

-Mary Alice Wimmer

EARTHLY DELIGHTS II

Watercolor on Paper

22 1/2 x 30” (Image)

33 x 40 3/4” (Framed)

“The Cabinets of Curiosity phenomenon is of great interest, and the collecting of
a myriad of specimens is something I have always been involved in. These include skeletons, bones, insects, lizards, turtles, shells, rocks, branches, vines, dried botanicals, and fruits and vegetables.”

-Mary Alice Wimmer

REMAIN EARTH REMAINS LAKE SUPERIOR

Silverpoint on Bristol Board,

13 1/2 x 10 1/2” (Image)

24 x 20 1/2” (Framed)