The Artist

Leslie Shannon - Owner/Artist

Leslie Shannon is a self-taught artist. She taught art in a private school to children in grades K-8th. It was through the children that she embraced the philosophy that anyone can create art if your mind is open to the creative flow that is in each one of us. After giving up teaching, Leslie decided to follow a new path which ultimately led to a successful art-based career. She worked for a faux finishing company in Naples, FL for two years before she decided to branch out and open her own mural and faux finishing company….Beach Street Studio, Inc….which she has owned and operated since 2002. Leslie enjoys many mediums which include acrylic paintings, cloth mache’ texture canvases, abstract texture and mixed media paintings, and cloth mache’ sculptures. She enjoys painting murals and working large! Leslie will never retire because it gives her such great pleasure and excitement to dream up new creative endeavors. Creating art is not a job….it is part of her being, and you can never retire from who you are. Her dream of opening an art gallery to promote her own work and that of other local artists has finally come to fruition with the opening Beach Street Art Gallery, which opened its doors in February 2020.

_______________________________________________

 

Laura Mikula - Artist

Laura is a self-taught artist that applies her education grounded in the formal principles of interior design of unity, balance, rhythm, contrast, emphasis, proportion and details.   By applying these principles which create pleasing environments in which to live and work, she extends to create works of art that are pleasing to the eye and soul.   She refined her artistic skills and techniques used for her work from an early age by reading many books, watching artists’ videos and observing works of the masters.   As with many skills in life, trial and error with perseverance remain her constant teacher.  

This practice and formal design education resulted in a successful free-lance mural and faux finish business with commercial and residential clients where she lived in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area.  Currently her emphasis is in creating works of art with oil and acrylic paint on canvas from observing the natural environment of Southwest Florida where she lives.   It is her goal with all of her work to pull out unnoticed details or use different atmospheric lighting for dramatic effect using the underlying principles of design to transform a subject into a harmonious work that brings joy to the observer.   

Laura’s work has often been featured in private, individual and group showings and in various galleries where she has lived.  Currently her work can be seen at September Moon Gallery in Findley Lake, New York, and Beach Street Gallery on Marco Island, Florida.  She is a member of the Marco Island Center for the Arts in Marco Island, Florida.

Please contact the artist or visit www.lauramikulafineart.com for information and availability of work shown.