OUR Mission
The dream is to build a community of artists who are eager to learn and live in a peaceful planet. Our goal as artists is to tell stories and raise awareness. We challenge humanity and urge compassion, respect, and coexisting for all with the understanding that that mentality begins with happiness of the self. As a teacher, my goal is to help people not only achieve their fundamental and technical goals but to facilitate a healthy state of mind where you have the tools to express your subconscious voice and do so through the journey of creating. Art is the voice of the subconscious. -PJ Svejda
Painting is a journey. Such a metaphor for life - from beginning to end the experience is filled with a symphony of emotions. In one painting you feel excitement, motivation, and inspiration; then challenged, defeated and insecure. A painting teaches humility and perseverance and above all, faith, because no matter how many revisions or stumbles you go though, you know it’s just paint and you have the power to control it. At the end of the dark tunnel - there is light. At the end of the struggle - there is accomplishment. Underneath every painting is a journey. Art is what freedom looks like.
The Artists
Founders
PJ Svejda
PJ studied at the Savannah College of Art and Design where she earned both a BA in illustration and an MA in painting. She began building her career as an artist and instructor in Atlanta, Georgia for 12 years before relocating to Orlando, Florida where she has had great success in the local art community. She is most recognized for her passionate narratives, illustrating ideas of coexistence between man, beast, and planet. She pushes the envelope, juxtaposing controversial imagery with a classical and traditional style.
She has been involved in activism for animal, environmental, and human rights and has found a way to merge her passion for art with her desire for change. Her paintings tell stories of pain and hope and raise the viewer’s self-awareness into their own humanity; urging increased consciousness of the time we spend here on earth.
https://www.instagram.com/pjsvejda/
German Lemus
Born in Honduras, raised in Miami and stationed in Hawaii while serving in the U.S. Army, German Lemus has been surrounded by vibrant colors and cultures his entire life. While he is most recognized for his mixed media portraits of recognizable people and animals, it is his surrealist take on landscapes and use of metaphors and symbolism that really make this man a creative powerhouse. Inspired by music, culture, nature and current events, his work is nothing short of conceptual all while being so beautiful and intriguing to look at. You can stare at one of Lemus's pieces everyday and find something new! As one of the founders of the B-Side artist collective in downtown Orlando, you are sure to recognize one of his large and powerful murals around town.
https://www.instagram.com/lemusart/
Artists in Residence
Gina Tyquiengco
Gina Tyquiengco was born in Fort Lewis, Washington in 1987. She earned her BS in Media Arts and Science from Indiana University in 2012. In the past three years, she's had a solo art show in Indiana, was an artist-in-residence at an international residency in Mexico, and her work has been exhibited in galleries in Orlando. Gina's work has also been published in Obra/Artifact, an experimental hybrid journal and the coloring book, Notes from the Universe. She lives and works in Orlando, and her work is held in private collections across North America and Europe.
Beth Jewett
Beth is a life long resident of central Florida, a contemporary water media artist, and an illustrator. After a successful career as an attorney, mother and community volunteer, Beth made a commitment in 2012 to pursue her passion for art and the creative process.
Beth insists that “Art is a conscious way a life" - it is a way of thoughtfully living and seeing things, and much of what inspires and forms Beth’s work is the beauty of her everyday surroundings, and her love for poetry. Beth’s paintings are interpretative statements of her observations and range from abstract expressionism to traditional. She is a member of the Florida Watercolor Society and the Florida Artist Registry.
Gina Stogran
In 2003, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Communication Graphics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. My life and career have since taken me on a great adventure. I have worked at a print shop, protected shipwrecks, assisted with special events and sea turtle releases, built public exhibits and parade floats. In roles from conservation to retail marketing, I have been fortunate to work with amazing people, live in beautiful places, and grow my skill set and interests.
In 2020, when the pandemic necessitated a nationwide quarantine, I took advantage of my time spent at home. I organized my home art studio and “got messy” again with charcoal. It was a creative time, time I didn’t realize how badly I needed.
My work has become a reflection of my soul. Subjects from nature drawn as a visual representation of my inner joy, emotional struggles, and self-healing. I enjoy the immersive experience that large works create, inviting the viewer to feel my story while also giving space to write their own.
Charcoal as a medium makes a powerful graphic statement. It draws you in with its softness, grit, endless shades of gray, and deep dark blacks. The messiness is soothing and allows me to express myself through the process which leads to something beautiful from within the dark. This is where I find my peace.
https://www.instagram.com/ginabird.creative.studio
Amanda Acevedo
Amanda Acevedo McClure was raised in Lake County and Sarasota, Florida. She finds inspiration in the beautiful forests of her childhood, as well as the colorful expression of her Puerto Rican heritage. Her work is influenced by a desire to highlight the complexities of the human experience, especially those of the most unseen in society. She has studied art under Gary Hopcraft, and is currently developing her skills with PJ Svejda.
https://www.instagram.com/amanda.m.a.mcclure_art/
https://amandamarieacevedo.wixsite.com/amandamamcclure
Carla Brito
Carla Brito is a Multidisciplinary Mix Media artist with a Bachelor’s in Studio Art from the University of Central Florida. Throughout her artistic formation, she specialized in Painting, Drawing, Sculpting, Printmaking, and Performance Work. With several exhibitions in Florida and Puerto Rico, Brito has also gained a spot as one of the Resident Artist at Studio Art Farm Gallery and Studio. When she is not creating, Brito likes long walks on the beach, reading lots of Magical Realism novels, and being an overly affectionate dog mom.
https://www.instagram.com/_carlitabrito/
Jawan Townsend
Local artist Jawan Townsend is the youngest artist in residence at Studio ArtFarm. At just 20 years old, right out of high school Jawan began interning at SAF where he continued learning and practicing and eventually started teaching. Jawan current teaches the teen art class and is actively working on building new collections. His work is an interesting commentary on reality and fantasy and how culture impacts identity. Bright colors and playful characters from popular culture are carefully placed along side more serious figures which represent the reality of social themes both good and bad. He hopes to expand on this idea and is excited for its evolution. He is currently a part of the young artist collective at City Arts in Orlando.