FEATURED ARTIST:
SHELIA SQUILLANTE
As a mixed media artist, I explore themes of connection, disconnection, tension and anxiety inherent to human experience. I am a poet and essayist who relishes in the lyric impulse, so my 2D work, too, gravitates towards abstraction, juxtaposition, fragmentation and suggestion. I find beauty in the elliptical, the incomplete, the slightly askew. My work is intuitive and organic, allowing the idea and the feeling of the work to dictate its form and medium. As I paint, I invite my physical surroundings and emotional weather to enter the work via bold color, meaningful mark making, textural contrast and collage. Because of my work as a writer, my paintings celebrate and often emphasize the relationship between text and image, either concretely, where text becomes part of the visual image, or ekphrastically, where the image is inspired by texts such as poems, letters, conversations, and the narratives that live inside memory. The paintings in my “Public Domain” series, for example, respond to the writing of poets whose work has entered the public domain.
“The long, multitudinous rain” — after Carl Sandburg 20×26 Acrylic
“All essences of sweetness from the white, warm day go up in vapor”– after Genevieve Taggard 18×24 Acrylic
“In those dark cells, packed street after street “– after H.D.
“I am not used to hope” — after Emily Dickinson 12×16 Acrylic
“Dare you see a soul at the white heat” — after Emily Dickinson 16×20 Acrylic
“There is a pain so utter,” — after Emily Dickinson
“Yellow she affords, II” — after Emily Dickinson 11×14 Acrylic
“Yellow she affords, I” — after Emily Dickinson 11×14 Acrylic
Sheila Squillante is a mixed media artist living in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Her work has been part of solo and group exhibitions in the region since 2023, and has been featured in several literary journals including Brevity, Mid-American Review, Asterales, A-Minor and Dogwood. A widely published poet and essayist, and author of nine books, she directs the MFA program in creative writing at Chatham University. During the pandemic, six months after the death of her mother, she got serious about making visual art after a lifetime of appreciation and play. Now, she finds that, beyond being a space for solace and healing from grief, painting compliments and feeds her writing (and vice versa) in unexpected and meaningful ways. You can see more of her work at www.sheilasquillante.com and at https://sheilasquillanteart.
Art by Tiziana Rasile:
“Clear Water in Time,” Oil on Canvas
“Material Fades,” Oil on Canvas
“Celestial Tune,” Oil on Canvas
“The Pearly Absent” Oil on Canvas
I’m an abstract Italian artist. My project considers art as a cultural vehicle and a powerful means of transmitting messages that induce man to rediscover himself through the deep connection with nature and the reunion with his primordial essence. My artistic research tries to represent an abstract imaginary, as it can be philosophical or spiritual, where deep down we can see life pulsating and nature manifested.This is through a metaphysical approach that questions reality, looking for new ways to follow and what prospects with respect to a seemingly ordinary world.
Art by GJ Gillespie
“Stone Believer: Portrait of Adonis with Crimson Anemone” 36 x 24 x 0.5″, 2025, Mixed Media on Canvas
Artist Notes: This contemporary portrait reimagines the Greek myth of Adonis at the moment of his death, when his blood became the crimson anemone flower. The piece combines a classical marble bust with abstract expressionist techniques, exploring themes of beauty confronting mortality and transformation through violence. The title references Iron Butterfly’s 1975 psychedelic rock song, bridging ancient mythology with mid-century popular culture.
“Yesterday” 36 x 48 x 1.5″ 2025 Mixed Media Collage on Canvas
Artist Notes: A large-scale abstract composition exploring memory, nostalgia, and the passage of time. The title references The Beatles’ iconic 1965 ballad, connecting personal reflection with universal emotional resonance.
“Crazy Diamond #5″ 24 x 18” 2025 Mixed Media Collage on Paper
Artist Notes: Part of my ongoing series inspired by Arshile Gorky’s biomorphic abstractions and titled after Pink Floyd’s 1975 epic “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” This series explores fragmented consciousness and transformation, with song lyrics incorporated into the undercoat layers.
“Rosario Marina” 11 x 8.25″ Ballpoint Pen and Watercolor Sketch
Artist Notes: Made on location, capturing the energy and color of the marina. Created in a Leda Art Supply A5 sketchbook, the flagship product of my art supply company, this piece represents my plein air sketching practice alongside my studio collage work.
“Return to Ithaka” 48 x 30 x 2″ 2025 Mixed Media Collage on Canvas
Artist Notes: Inspired by an ancient Pompeii fresco of a lyre player, this piece explores themes of homecoming and artistic legacy. The title references Weezer’s 2014 instrumental “Return to Ithaka,” which itself includes passages from Homer’s Odyssey in its liner notes. The work layers graphite, acrylic, oil, spray paint, tissue, cheesecloth, found papers, and grocery ads to create an archaeological quality – as if excavating fragments of ancient culture through contemporary materials.
“Psychotic Reaction: The Death of Pentheus” Triptych 108 x 18 x1.5″ 2025 Mixed Media Collage on Canvas with River Clay, Tissue, Crossword Puzzles, Covid Test Instructions
Artist Notes: Based on the ancient fresco from Pompeii’s House of the Vettii, this three-panel narrative depicts the tragic myth from Euripides’ “The Bacchae.” King Pentheus of Thebes banned the worship of Dionysus, driving the god’s frenzied followers – including Pentheus’ own mother – into divine madness. The layered materials create an archaeological quality, connecting ancient religious ecstasy and violence with contemporary fragmentation. The title references the 1966 garage rock song by Count Five.
GJ Gillespie is a collage artist living on Whidbey Island, Washington. He is the winner of more than 23 awards for his art and his work has appeared in 70 shows and 200 publications.
Art by Ellen June Wright
From Top to Bottom: “Watercolor 1525” “Watercolor 3509” and “Watercolor 2121”
Ellen June Wright loves color. Her abstract expressionism revolves around the power of color and the emotions and memories they evoke. Recently, her unconventional watercolors have graced the covers of SCARS Anthology, Long River Review, Abstract Magazine TV and is forthcoming in Kelsey Review and West Trestle Review and were included in the 2024 and 2025 Newark Arts Festival and featured at the Hackensack Performing Arts Center in NJ. To see more visit: https://8-ellen-wright.pixels.com/
Art by Willy Conley
Willy Conley, born profoundly deaf, is an award-winning writer-photographer whose nine books include Photographic Memories, Plays of Our Own, Listening Through the Bone, and The Deaf Heart. Early in his career he worked as a medical photographer at leading hospitals in the U.S. before earning certification as a Registered Biological Photographer. He is professor emeritus of Theatre and Dance at Gallaudet University, the world’s only liberal arts university for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, in Washington, D.C. For more info about his work, please visit his blog and website: www.willyconley.com/blog
Art by Rob Kunz:
“In Need for Less” Oil and Acrylic on Canvas.
“Topography Ascending” Oil and Acrylic on Canvas.
Robb Kunz hails from Teton Valley, Idaho. He received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho. He currently teaches writing at Utah State University and is the Art and Design Faculty Advisor of Sink Hollow: An Undergraduate Literary Journal. His art has been published in Peatsmoke Journal, the NonBinary Review, Journal X, and New Delta Review. His art is upcoming in Midway Review, Kitchen Table Quarterly and Humana Obscura.
Art by Roger Camp
Roger Camp is the author of three photography books including the award winning Butterflies in Flight, Thames & Hudson, 2002. His documentary photography has been awarded the prestigious Leica Medal of Excellence and published in The New England Review, New York Quarterly and Orion Magazine. He is represented by the Robin Rice Gallery, NY. More of his work may be seen on luminous-lint.com.
Art by Cynthia Yachtman
Cynthia Yatchman is a Seattle based artist and art instructor. A former ceramicist, she received her B.F.A. in painting (UW). She switched from 3D to 2D and has remained there ever since. She works primarily on paintings, prints and collages. Her art is housed in numerous public and private collections. She has exhibited on both coasts, extensively in the Northwest, including shows at Seattle University, SPU, Shoreline Community College, the Tacoma and Seattle Convention Centers and the Pacific Science Center. She is, a member of the Seattle Print Art Association and Women Painters of Washington.
Art by Basak Devrim Adreutti
Basak Devrim Andreutti is a visual storyteller and fine art artist specializing in oil painting. She holds a BA in Communication and has lived and worked across three continents and in many countries, experiences that inform her human-centered and globally minded perspective. Inspired by the beauty of nature and the complexity of humanity, Andreutti’s work explores the quiet connections between people, the natural world, and the planet. A lifelong observer and polyglot, she approaches painting as a space of reflection, curiosity, and emotional translation. Through her practice, she seeks to create work that gently unites and uplifts, inviting viewers to recognize shared experience across borders and languages. Her paintings focus on emotional landscapes, inner states, and the subtle threads that connect personal and collective life.
Art by Cindy Conley
“Reflections from Above”
Dr. Cindy Conley finds photography to be an enjoyable, relaxing activity. She was introduced to photography as an art form from other professionals who were also seeking ways to embrace their community and enjoy the moments. She holds a PhD from Tennessee Technological University and has pursued a career in mental health and community services. Dr. Conley is currently employed as the Director of Student Success at Cumberland University.
Art by Paola Jo (PJ) Corso
PAOLA JO (PJ) CORSO is the author of seven books of poetry and fiction set in her native Pittsburgh area where her Southern Italian immigrant family members were steel workers. Her latest are Vertical Bridges: Poems and Photographs of City Steps, The Laundress Catches Her Breath, winner of The Tillie Olsen Award for Creative Writing, Once I Was Told the Air Was Not for Breathing, winner of the Triangle Fire Memorial Association Award, and Catina’s Haircut: A Novel in Stories. Her new poetry collection, Oxygen for Two completes her Pittsburgh Air Triology and is forthcoming in 2026. As a member of an artist’s collective, Corso’s photographs have been exhibited in galleries, libraries, and open studios. She cofounded Steppin Stanzas, a grassroots performing arts project to celebrate city steps and also The Ferlinghetti Girls to celebrate Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s vision of free speech and poetry for the people. Corso earned graduate degrees in Creative Writing and Community Organizing. She lives and works in New York City.
Art by Serge Lecomte
Serge Lecomte was born in Belgium in 1946. He came to the States where he spent his teens in South Philly and then Brooklyn. After graduating from Tilden H. S. he joined the Medical Corps in the Air Force. He earned an MA and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Russian Literature with a minor in French Literature. He worked as a Green Beret language instructor at Fort Bragg, NC from 1975-78. In 1988 he received a B.A. from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in Spanish Literature. He worked as a language teacher at the University of Alaska (1978-1997). He worked as a house builder, pipe-fitter, orderly in a hospital, gardener, landscaper, driller for an assaying company, bartender and painter.
Artist Notes: I began my life as a writer, publishing numerous poetry collections and graduating to novels and plays and now paintings. I am an outside artist. My artwork could be described as somewhat surreal. Crossed realities usually yield amazing and sometimes shocking results. I would describe my art as eclectic. The natural world is in constant flux and so animals and plants mutate to create a surreal tapestry. Nothing is ever as it is “supposed to be.” The images are a blend of the natural world and imaginary creatures. But then you see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear.. A list of these publications can be found on my website: https://sergelecomte.weebly.co
Art by J.C. Henderson
J.C. Henderson is an artist as well as a poet. Her inspiration for art resonates with her poetic impulses. Images of her paintings, some of which as cover art, have been featured in literary and art magazines in the US, as well as in England, such as The Emerson Review, Blue Mesa Review, CALYX, Ignatian, and Indelible of London Arts-Based Research Center
Notes on the Paintings:
“Revelation”
In a different lighting, we may see a different side of ourselves, or recognize an entirely different self. No matter what the impact is, we gain a new perspective of ourselves, which may lead to transformation.
“Music”
Our mind is sensitive to sounds. In music sounds, one may see colors and shapes–depending on the listener. Music is also fluid. Immersed in it one may find harmony between him/herself and their natural worlds.
“Lesson 3”
Life is complex and intriguing. Our learning path resembles a maze, and you will need perseverance to eventually arrive at your goal, whatever it may be.
Art by Aaron Lelito
“The Echo and After”
“Capacity”
“Continuum”
“Pervasive”
“The Word for Moonlight”
Aaron Lelito is a writer and editor from Buffalo, NY. His micro-chapbook, Secret Meetings, was published by Ghost City Press in 2025, and his poetry collection, The Half Turn, was published in 2023. His work has also appeared in Sage Magazine, Tough Poets Review, Door Is A Jar, Barzakh, Santa Fe Review, SPECTRA Poets, and Tiny Wren’s Anthology: Earth: Poems of Presence and Possibility. He is Editor in Chief of Wild Roof Journal. Instagram: @aaronlelito
Editor’s Note: Novus Literary Arts Journal thanks Aaron for allowing us to reprint four of these images from our print journal. “Continuum” is a new work and being published in Novus for the first time.