The Mainstreet Staff

Frankie Johnson, Director
Frankie Johnson is an accomplished artist with over 30 years of experience in oil painting and pastels. For the last twenty years, Frankie has taught drawing, oil and pastel painting at The Studio In The Woods (Wauconda, Illinois), The Studio of Long Grove and the Mainstreet Art Centre. She opened the Mainstreet Art Centre, with original partner Cathy Barry, in 1994 with a talented staff of instructors. She conducts workshops in portrait and landscape painting at various locations such as The Clearing in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, Dillmans In Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin and the Mainstreet Art Centre.

She studied art and design at the Art Institute of Chicago and William Harper College (Palatine, Illinois). Through her long association with the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, she has studied with distinguished artists such as Richard Schmid, David Leffel, Ted Goerschner, Ted Smuskiewicz, Clyde Aspevig and Scott Burdick.

Frankie has won numerous awards for her paintings through the years. Most recently she was awarded Best in Show at The Richeson 75 International Landscape, Seascape & Architectural 2008 exhibition. At the prestigious Easton Plein Air Competition & Art Festival in Easton, Maryland, Frankie won the 2008 Best Marine Painting award. In 2007 Frankie won an Award of Excellence for her painting, "Horse Barn", at the 5th Annual National Juried Barns & Farms Exhibition. She has also won awards in 2006 and 2007 at the Cedarburg Plein Air Painting Competition in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. At the December 2003, Oil Painters of America Show, she won an Honorable Mention on her still life painting, "Tea Party". Her painting, "Reading in the Courtyard" was featured in the December/January 2001 issue of International Artist magazine. Frankie was a finalist in the 1998 and 1999 Artist's Magazine's competition for her Portrait, Still Life and Landscape entries.

Her work has appeared in shows and galleries all over the Midwest. She is currently represented by the Champeau Pioneer Gallery in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. Frankie's paintings, including numerous portrait commissions, hang in corporate and private collections throughout the country.

Visit her website at: www.frankiejohnsonartstudio.com

The Teachers

in alphabetical order:

-	Tony Armendariz Tony Armendariz attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago where he had the privilege to study watercolor under renowned instructor Irving Shapiro. Upon receiving his AA in Graphic Art, he continued developing his skills working as an airbrush illustrator, keyliner, color proofing technician and print/web designer in a variety of industries. Tony paints exclusively in watercolor in the pure transparent tradition on paper. He currently belongs to many artistic organizations across the country, including the Illinois Watercolor Society of which he is a signature member and also serves as their Executive Director. Visit his website: www.armendarizart.com

	Barb Benstein Barb Benstein’s love of art started at an early age. Mostly self-taught, she specializes in detailed pastel paintings of people and pets, as well as homes and landscapes. After working as a graphic artist for 10 years, Barb began painting full-time in 1993. Painting with pastels has always been her favorite medium. She loves the vibrancy of the colors and the richness of the texture when applied to sand paper. Barb has won many awards. Her commissioned paintings hang in Germany, Japan and Canada as well as throughout the United States. Visit her website: www.artworkbybarb.com.com

	Ann Feldman Ann Feldman studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been mentored for several years by Master Portraitist Margaret Carter Baumgaertner. Painting from life is of utmost importance in creating portraits with energy and personality. For this reason, she paints from live models on a regular basis to keep her paintings fresh and spontaneous. Ann's energy brings much enthusiasm to the classroom. Her love of painting and her desire to share with students is evident. Visit her website: www.annfeldmanportraits.com

	Joshua Kalfus Josh Kalfus, graduate of Pratt Institute in New York is a classical portrait artist whose work has been exhibited in several Chicago area galleries. He has been teaching drawing & painting classes for about ten years. Josh is highly skilled at portraiture and does oil commissions regularly.

	Linda Lukachik Linda Lukachik has been painting for over 30 years. She has studied at the Studio of the Woods, Studio of Long Grove, and Mainstreet Art Centre in Lake Zurich. Her many workshops have included Jim Pollard, Ted Goerschner, Romel de la Torre, Ron Riddick and Ted Smuskiewicz. Her paintings hang in many private collections. She is currently represented by Dunton Gallery in Arlington Heights, Il.

	Ardes MacFarlane Ardes Mac Farlane graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago and has attended classes at Harper College, in Palatine, Illinois. She has been an Art Instructor for many years in Long Grove, and in Lake Zurich, Illinois.

	Jan Oswald Jan Oswald majored in art and early childcare education. She taught art and music at the YMCA in Highland Park and has been teaching pre-school for over 25 years. Pursuing her love of oil painting has become a major focus in the last 5 years. She works regularly in her own home studio, where many paintings are waiting their final touch. Jan has been teaching drawing and painting to children at Mainstreet Art Center for several years.

	Susan Ploughe Susan Ploughe is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, with a BFA in Painting. She worked many years as an illustrator and graphic designer. As a full time artist, she is represented by several galleries with a solo show scheduled in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is a member of the Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of Chicago and the Portrait Society of America. Visit her website: www.susanploughe.com

	Karen Sako Karen Sako is a graphic designer with a BFA in Visual Communications from The Illinois Institute of Art. While her 'real job' now keeps her busy in the realm of web design, her true love is oil painting and she spends much of her free time creating mixed media pet portraits. Karen has been sharing her infectious love of art with students in the Chicago area for over half her life. Visit her website: http://sakostudios.com


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Ardes MacFarlane Ardes Mac Farlane graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago and has attended classes at Harper College, in Palatine, Illinois. She has been an Art Instructor for many years in Long Grove, and in Lake Zurich, Illinois.

Ardes MacFarlane
Ardes Mac Farlane graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago and has attended classes at Harper College, in Palatine, Illinois. She has been an Art Instructor for many years in Long Grove, and in Lake Zurich, Illinois.