Danielle Barbaro
Danielle was the kid in the back of class who doodled in the margins of her notebooks. A Jill-of-all-trades, she dabbled in many mediums while attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where she received a Bachelors in Fine Art and Masters in Art & Design Education, with a minor in Art History.
Danielle taught publicly in the Department of Education in NYC, as well as privately for individuals, groups, retirement homes, and businesses. She took the plunge on this business after several other tries where the timing wasn’t quite right.
She uses a variety of mediums in her personal artistic endeavors, including printmaking, drawing, pastels, sewing, and watercolor. She encourages all that she meets to doodle in the margins of their notebooks and beyond.
IG: danielle_barbaro
Web: www.daniellebarbaro.com
Zahra Rizvi
Zahra is a native New Yorker, born and raised on Long Island, right near The Art Studio! She studied graphic design & fine arts at Hofstra University and has worked in companies that create licensed pop culture collectibles, games & puzzles. Her love of pop culture inspires her love of cartoon-style art and creating logos and doodles in that style. Growing up as a proud "90's kid", she enjoys the comfort of home & family style entertainment of the classic sitcoms of that decade. She has a kind and colorful personality and is a big kid at heart by nature, which makes working here at the studio a perfect fit!
Roger Beckles
Roger is a realistic painter living and working in New York City. He was born in 1958 in Barbados, West Indies. From the age of eight, Roger Beckles envisioned leaving his home in Barbados and becoming a professional artist in New York City. At nine, this vision began to come into focus. Roger and his family immigrated to New York where he would grow and continue his artistic explorations.
In 1977 he attended the School of Visual Arts, New York City. A visit to a Cape Cod gallery catalyzed him to pursue his art professionally which lead him to begin studying oil painting with his mentor Marcel Franquelin in Princeton, New Jersey, honing his talent and perfecting his artistic perspective.
Influenced by 18th century French artist Jean Auguste Dominique-Ingres and 21st century contemporary Realist Chilean artist Claudio Bravo, Roger’s oil paintings are richly realistic and soothingly serene. “Composition, light, color, texture and mood are all essential elements for the style of paintings I produce. I want my paintings to express a feeling of serenity, to capture a moment in time, to create a familiar comfort zone.”
His oils have been exhibited at the Garth Davidson Gallery, Clover Fine art Gallery, Gilt Complex, Stricoff Fine Art Gallery and Grenning Gallery.
Lisa Martin
"I might look lost while I wander, but just as I am existing, every small detail around me is constructing itself into an image in my mind. Beauty is in the lonely fallen leaf that floats in a puddle, and it’s also in the crumbled paint, weathered by life, on the side of an old building that you walk by every day on your way to work.”
This sentiment is the passion behind everything Lisa creates, and as a plant-mom & nature lover, she can’t help but be continually inspired by Mother Nature’s works of art.
Lisa received her Bachelors degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in photography from Hofstra University. After quite a few years of getting “stuck in the daily grind,” she has returned to the world of art and is currently working on a Masters degree in Art Education at Hofstra. She believes that a successful art class always allows children the opportunity to explore creativity and individuality, while also having fun in the process!
Stephanie Battista
Stephanie has a BFA in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. She has worked as a Designer for over a decade with some of the industry’s finest brands, including Avec Les Filles, Express, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Nordstrom. After years of experience in NYC’s Garment District, she now welcomes the opportunity to share her knowledge with young budding designers at The Art Studio.
Angelica Zampini
Angelica is a Molloy University graduate with a Bachelors in Psychology and Double Minor in Art Therapy and Child Life. She is working on a portfolio for an application to Masters of Fine Arts programs. Her goal is to continue her education towards receiving a doctorate in Psychology, while sharing her knowledge of art therapy to those who struggle to express themselves.
Rainbow Rizvi
Rainbow is Zahra's two-year old green cheek conure, a type of baby parrot. He has become the unofficial Art Studio mascot and loves visiting the students here! His name is inspired by the colorful feathers and is also very fitting for an artistic space. He loves playing with the kids and bopping his head as they talk to him & equally loves saying hi to all the teens and adults too. Just be careful with your fingers...he may think they are food!