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<\/a>John Straub<\/strong><\/p>\n Photographer John Straub has been telling stories through his camera lens for decades.<\/p>\n \u201c[It] plays out because it’s all there, just waiting to be found, waiting to be experienced, waiting to be captured,\u201d he said, adding that exploring, engaging and clicking allows him to take a scene and make it his own.<\/p>\n Although his original medium was film, Straub has since migrated to a digital format because it\u2019s given him a way to advance his art. Chris Schwimmer<\/strong><\/p>\n Abstract painter Chris Schwimmer said that while she didn\u2019t officially become a full-time artist until about 10 years ago, her love of art has been with her since she was a child.<\/p>\n \u201cI began dreaming of becoming an artist ever since my fifth-grade art teacher praised a piece of work I\u2019d done in class,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Schwimmer, who was born and raised in Chicago, said that spending 30 years in such a multi-cultural metropolitan area definitely had an impact on her as an artist.<\/p>\n \u201cBetween the beauty, the grime and grit, the poorest to the richest, raw and refined, perfect yet imperfect, all of these influences are woven into the fabric of my art.\u201d<\/p>\n Monique Straub<\/strong><\/p>\n Painter Monique Straub said that it wasn\u2019t until 2001, after half a lifetime of non-creative occupations, that she decided to take a risk and follow her dreams of becoming a full-time artist.<\/p>\n It all started with a vintage box of 300 Grumbacher soft pastels that were given to her by her father-in-law. Straub admits that she didn\u2019t have any formal training and relied solely on \u201chigh school art lessons and a few pastel instruction books,\u201d but she decided to run with it.<\/p>\n \u201cWithin the first year, I was entering the San Diego County Fair, local juried art shows, and [was] selling my work through a shared art studio at Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park,\u201d she said. \u201cI filled my days with experimentation and non-stop painting, and my unique style developed quickly. I believe my design and composition skills are attributed to having extensively studied photography in my younger years. I compose and photograph all of my own material, and paint from my photos in the studio every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Stephen Fishwick <\/strong><\/p>\n Stephen Fishwick best describes his painting style as Spontaneous Realism, as his style allows him to be free of the confinements of traditional techniques.<\/p>\n \u201cI tend to use everything from brushes and sponges to forks, knives and spray bottles, to my bare hands,\u201d he said. \u201cMy work has a chaotic-ness to it, but there is a bit of reality that I hope shines through.\u201d<\/p>\n Fishwick, who has partnered with a number of corporate and professional clients including but not limited to the National Football League, Apple, Microsoft, Disney and the San Diego Padres, also has a deep-running philanthropic streak.<\/p>\n To date, he\u2019s raised more than $1 million for different charities. \u201cMy goal is to have my artwork do something bigger than myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The 32Dakota del Norte<\/sup> annual Mission Federal ArtWalk will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 and will feature professional artists from all throughout the region. The free, family-friendly event will not only include art, but also live musical performances, street food, interactive art activities and Kids Walk, which will offer a wide range of creative projects.<\/p>\n For more information on this year\u2019s ArtWalk, visit artwalkSanDiego.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cToday there are no barriers with what can be done on a computer; my camera is an amazing tool,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a black box between me and the world that lets me translate what I see with my eye and feel in my soul when I finish making my image.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>