FEATURED ARTISTS
Meet the artists being exhibited in
LOVE, LAKELAND at Notta Gallery.
Figurative Oil Painter & Storyteller
Karla Pirona
Karla Pirona is a Lakeland-based figurative oil painter celebrated for her luminous portraits, narrative scenes, and emotional realism. Inspired by the timeless works of Sargent, Degas, Velázquez, and Dürer, Karla blends classical technique with contemporary storytelling, capturing both likeness and soul in every brushstroke. Collectors are drawn to her ability to merge technical mastery with warmth, intimacy, and story.
Current & Recent Exhibitions
- Solo Exhibition: Timeless Lakeland — A newly unveiled series celebrating Lakeland’s landscapes, landmarks, and stories, reframing familiar places in her unique realist style. Hosted at Pirona Studio, the show also includes community art evenings and plein air events.
- Elvis’ Return to Polk Theatre — Award-winning oil painting (18×20 in) recently honored with First Place in a regional juried competition. The work exemplifies Karla’s balance of nostalgia, identity, and light.
- Best of America International Exhibition — Featured artist in the prestigious 34th annual show (October 2024), spotlighting her as a painter with national recognition.
Style & Philosophy
Karla calls painting “her second language.” Through oil on canvas, she explores human presence, memory, and place—from intimate portraits to expansive cityscapes. Each piece is crafted with rich textures, dramatic light, and quiet emotion, inviting viewers to pause and connect.
Lakeland Contemporary Artist & Founder of SPACE Art Collective
Sara Savannah Jones
Sara Savannah Jones is a Lakeland, Florida–based contemporary artist known for her bold acrylic paintings, layered color theory, and use of recycled and found materials.
A previous resident and lead artist at ART/ifact Studios and founder of the art collective SPACE (Sanctuary for Polk's Arts, Culture and Education), Sara is a driving force in Lakeland’s cultural renaissance—creating opportunities for emerging artists while producing highly collectible, emotion-driven work of her own.
She has produced several community showcases - including BREAKING IN! and Punks for Planned Parenthood - and has collaborated on album covers for local musicians.
Why Collect
Sara Savannah Jones
Collectors are drawn to Sara's work for its authenticity, storytelling, and her connection to Lakeland’s thriving arts scene. Each piece is layered with emotion and memory, offering not just art for your walls but an experience that resonates.
Follow her journey on Instagram.
Mixed-Media Painter, Photographer & Creative Director
Sherry Ross
Sherry Ross is an award-winning painter and photographer based in Central Florida, recognized for layered, wit-infused work that explores translucence, opacity, and classical imagery across watercolor, acrylic, and photography. Sherry Ross Creative
A pillar in the Lakeland Arts Association’s evolution and educational programs, Sherry has helped shape accessible workshops and community-minded exhibitions that welcome artists at every level. polkarts.org
Today, she serves as Creative Director of the Depot Arts District, where she’s guiding studio development and programming to make Lakeland’s newest arts hub a vibrant, collaborative home for creators. LkldNow
Current Exhibition — Don’t Miss It
Drop by and check out her solo exhibition Big World, Little Photos at the Mulberry Cultural Center, now running through October 10. Facebook
Why Collect Sherry Ross
Sherry’s practice blends mixed media, digital collage, and paint to create what she calls “personal Rorschachs”—works that invite each viewer to discover their own meaning. Her community leadership, teaching, and curatorial vision amplify her impact, making her work both artistically compelling and culturally significant. Sherry Ross Creative
Lakeland’s Mixed-Media Maven & Creative Catalyst
Mary Correa
Mary Correa is a celebrated mixed-media artist, instructor, and creative mentor based in Lakeland, Florida. Known for her vibrant, texture-rich work, she blends painting, collage, and art journaling techniques to tell colorful stories—inviting viewers into abstract worlds shaped by pattern, texture, and emotion.
As an influential leader in the Lakeland Arts Association, Mary's passion for nurturing emerging artists shines through her dedication to community programming. Her newly opened studio at The Arts Depot marks a milestone in her journey—creating a dynamic space that will house workshops, exhibitions, and artist gatherings, lifting Lakeland’s creative pulse.
With an approach rooted in joy, she inspires artists of all levels. As she says:
“I am a full‑time abstract artist working in painting and collage. I love to use color, pattern and texture to create my stories.”
Collecting a Mary Correa piece not only brings bold visual energy to your space—but connects you to a creator deeply committed to community, learning, and expressive freedom.
self-taught illustrator, muralist, and designer
Bump Galetta
Josh “Bump” Galletta is a self-taught illustrator, muralist, and designer firmly rooted in Lakeland’s creative pulse. With a flair for pen-and-paper storytelling, Bump transforms everyday scenes—local landmarks, quirky neighborhoods, and heartfelt portraits—into lively, whimsical art that surprises you at every turn. His style graces everything from murals to house portraits, branded merch, and more Polk State College+146AM - LALtoday+14#lovelakeland+14.
What started as daily sketches and hidden surprises evolved into community-wide recognition—he’s recreated the Sputnik, floated across billboards, and sprinkled his illustrations throughout Swan City 6AM - LALtoday+1. His art even caught West Elm’s eye, landing his doodles in their Florida stores Instagram+3Bay News 9+3Bump Galletta+3.
Beyond his art, Bump gives back—teaching Polk State College students about art and marketing, helping them shape creative careers Facebook+5Polk State College+5Facebook+5. With his “Your story, my art” ethos, he brings heart, humor, and local love to every stroke.
Emerging Lakeland Artist, Visionary of Symbol & Story
Q Laron
Quanel Davis, professionally known as Q Laron, is a Lakeland, Florida–based visual artist born in 1992. His work explores the boundaries between realism, abstraction, and narrative—using portraits, landscapes, and Afrofuturist symbolism to tell stories of identity, culture, and place.
A graduate of Harrison School of the Arts (2011) and University of South Florida (B.A. 2018, Business / Art History minor), Q Laron blends formal training with a bold, contemporary voice. His central theme investigates landscape painting through abstraction, suggestive narrative, and design, often weaving in motifs like red-tinted skin, cloudlike hair, and natural elements that connect human presence with larger cultural and cosmic landscapes.
Exhibitions & Features
- Shown in numerous exhibitions across Polk County, Tampa Bay, and Sarasota, plus over 20 group shows and multiple solo showcases nationally.
- Featured artist in:
YouTube interview with Paul O’Neil (2019)
Simply Dela Jouere magazine (Spring/Summer 2022)
Visual Art Journal (April 2025), highlighting his piece “Terraformation: Imaging a City on Mars” (2023).
Lakeland’s Bold Painter & Creative Space-Maker
Tony Agnello
Tony Agnello is a Pratt Institute–trained painter turned Lakeland art provocateur. After years away from his brushes, he rediscovered art during a paddle-boarding trip, returning to painting with fearless energy and emotional depth. His work begins with chaos, evolving into moments of striking human connection and presence.
Tony is also the visionary behind Notta Gallery, a lively new art space redefining Lakeland’s creative landscape—part gallery, part art hub, part soul-stirrer. With one foot in fine art and the other in play, Tony brings unexpected perspective, heartfelt storytelling, and raw energy to everything he paints and curates.
Artist & Owner of Marvelous Mudd
Rachelle Eason
Rachelle, owner of Marvelous Mud, is a seasoned professional artist with over 30 years of experience exhibiting in curated, juried shows and high-end galleries worldwide. Known for her Plant-Stained Paper creations and expressive pottery, her work reflects a bohemian, organic style rooted in her deep connection to nature.
Rachelle developed her Plant-Stained Paper process while living on a hobby farm in North Carolina, where she experimented with boiling plants to capture their essence directly onto cotton rag paper. Each piece shows the raw edge of the paper mounted on hand-chosen mats—a presentation she insists is part of the artwork itself. The frames, often barnwood or natural wood, echo the earthiness of the process, tying the work back to the land that inspired it.
For Rachelle, her art is not just about aesthetics, but about rebirth, renewal, and connection. As she explains:
“Plant-Stained Paper is about the essence of the plants used in the boiling process… It is about the farm we owned and the plants that grew around us that led me to this art. It is about rebirth and renewal that carried me through different seasons of my life as plants go through theirs.”
Her works now hang in private residences and businesses around the world, cherished by collectors who feel that same bond with nature and story. While she has retired from actively showing outside her own studio and website, Rachelle continues to create and share her work through Marvelous Mud and now, with the Lakeland community through Notta Gallery.
Lakeland Artist, Teacher & Mentor
Chris Roll
Chris Roll is one of Lakeland’s most well-known artists and educators, a painter whose nostalgic yet relatable concepts have shaped the city’s creative landscape for decades. With a career dedicated to both making and teaching art, Chris has refined his skills over many years—developing a style that blends expressive color, mixed-media textures, and story-driven imagery.
As a visual arts teacher and mentor, Chris has guided countless emerging artists, many of whom now contribute to Lakeland’s growing art scene. His influence extends beyond the classroom: through juried shows, festivals, and exhibitions, Chris demonstrates how art can both challenge and comfort, sparking dialogue through memory and meaning.
His work often balances nostalgia with immediacy, creating pieces that feel both personal and universal. Collectors love his ability to make the everyday extraordinary—turning familiar imagery into textured reflections of culture, memory, and emotion.
Sculptor of Emotion & Nature
Elizabeth Eckels
Elizabeth Myrick Eckels is an American figurative sculptor based in Florida, whose work expresses powerful emotion, organic flow, and natural beauty through passionate figures in clay, wax, and bronze. Her art is known to take your breath away—reflecting turbulence, perseverance, joy, and the deeply human journey, often with a lyrical connection to nature.
Background & Education
- Studied sculpture at the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Received her BFA from Parsons School of Design, New York City. - Early recognition: As a teenager, she won first place in the National Talent Search (NY) and opted for Parsons on scholarship. Exhibited in multiple states early in her career, including New York at prestigious galleries.
Artistic Style & Philosophy
Elizabeth creates in clay and wax with bronze casting, focusing on the twisting and turning of the human figure to communicate emotion, energy, turbulence, and grace. Her works are inspired by:
- Nature & the feminine form, often shown in its wild, flowing, organic essence.
- Stories of perseverance and hope, drawing from life’s seasons of struggle, renewal, and faith. Her piece High Upon a Rock reflects this: enduring hurricanes, finding peace.
- The interaction of figure and environment, often depicting tranquility or movement perched in nature—figures “on a rock,” facing vastness, suggesting that human spirit is both fragile and powerful.
Also, she believes that every exhibition should not just show art but share story—and those stories are deep: of hardship, rebuilding, and of finding hope through creation.
Exhibits, Awards & Public Recognition
- She’s had numerous exhibitions, including recent shows at places like Naples National Art Fair and Beaux Arts Festival, Miami.
- Winner: At Mayfaire-by-the-Lake 2024, she earned an Award of Excellence in Sculpture. LkldNow+1
- Public classes and walkthroughs: she holds workshops, masks & glazing demos, and participates in local art fairs. Instagram+2Facebook+2
Why Her Sculptures Breathe
Elizabeth’s pieces aren’t just sculptures—they’re conversations with breath. They evoke a visceral sensation:
- The raw strokes and curves of her figures mimic the way nature bends and turns.
- The bronze, clay, and wax speak of texture—light against shadow, strength against vulnerability.
- Her work draws you into silence, then releases you into awe.
Sculptor of Balance & Modern Form
Agueda Saez Perez Zabinsky
Agueda Saez Perez Zabisky is a sculptor based in St. Petersburg, Florida, whose work bridges the line between geometric clarity and organic expression. Often showing alongside acclaimed sculptor Elizabeth Eckels, Agueda has become known for her ability to create pieces that feel at once modern, architectural, and deeply connected to the natural world.
Her sculptures balance geometric precision with human warmth. Some works layer angular blocks into the form of a figure—evoking the interplay between humanity and structure—while others explore vertical stacks of cubes in shifting tones, reminiscent of architectural foundations or balanced stones in meditation. This careful tension between hard edges and flowing energy creates sculptures that feel alive, even in stillness. One of Agueda’s most celebrated explorations is her Curvy Series, a collection of vases inspired by the shapes of the female body. Each piece in the series lets curves “flow with movement, coming and going to define unique shapes.” The results are works that are both decorative and utilitarian—beautiful as art objects and functional as vessels.
Agueda describes her work as a reflection of environmental balance—the fragile harmony between built spaces and natural landscapes. Through clay, stone, and mixed media, she brings forth forms that are minimalist yet soulful, modern yet organic.
Color, Emotion & Mastery in Many Mediums
William Araujo
William Araujo is a Lakeland-based artist and teacher whose expressive use of color, diverse mediums, and emotional depth have earned him wide respect from peers, students, and collectors alike. An expert in all mediums, he brings warmth, vibrancy, and authenticity to every piece—and you’ll see that evolution as he begins experimenting with black & white work alongside his color-rich creations.
Style & Voice
- William’s signature work embraces bold, passionate color—especially in textiles, mixed media, and portraiture. His pieces convey expression and feeling as much through tone and hue as through form and subject.
- Recently, he’s started exploring the contrast and purity of black and white—allowing line, shadow, and composition to stand in stronger relief. These new works seen in gallery alongside his color pieces offer a fresh perspective on what is already familiar.
- Whether it’s textiles, painted canvas, or mixed media surfaces, William’s art always feels rooted in human presence—emotion, gesture, and story.
Teaching & Influence
- As a teacher, William is known for nurturing emerging artists across Lakeland. He shares his mastery of medium, technique, and emotional expression, mentoring many whose work is now part of the local art scene.
- His teaching is about more than skill—he inspires confidence, artistic voice, and risk-taking, especially encouraging students to own their unique style even when experimenting. His work regularly shows in local galleries and art festivals, including Lakeland Arts Association exhibitions such as “Express Yourself”. FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Why His Art Resonates
William’s art feels nostalgic yet immediate. The lore of texture, pattern, and fabric in his textile work recalls memory; his portraits capture life’s small allusions and grand emotions alike. His new black & white pieces strip back the palette to essentials—value, form, shadow—bringing fresh power to his expressive voice.
Collectors and galleries love his work because each piece feels personal: color-soaked emotion, thoughtful design, and an ever-present heart.
Lakeland Artist, Teacher & Mentor
Chanique Davis
Chanique Davis, also known as TAKAChanique or Chan, is an artist and teacher in Lakeland whose work pulses with spiritual expression, color, and emotion. Her art is a celebration of identity, community, and cultural voice — vivid, heartfelt, and deeply human.
As a teacher at Lake Alfred Elementary School, Chan uses her art to teach inclusion, diversity, and self-affirmation. One of her most visible projects is her annual door art installations for Black History Month and other heritage celebrations, where she designs door murals inclusive of student input and crafted to reflect culture, story, and pride. FOX 13 Tampa Bay+2LkldNow+2
Her artistic style is richly colorful and expressive, often embracing bright shapes, bold contrast, and symbolic elements. Her pieces don’t shy away from spirituality—many explore affirmation, identity, and power through community and creative involvement. Chanique believes in art that teaches life as much as it makes beauty.
Why Her Work Resonates
Chanique’s art feels welcoming, spiritual, and honest. It reaches beyond aesthetics into affirmation: of culture, self-worth, and belonging. Through vibrant color, symbolic shapes, and open dialogue with her students and community, she invites viewers to see themselves in what she creates.
Lakeland Firecracker & Serial Creator
Peggy Gallagher
Peggy Gallagher is one of Lakeland’s most beloved artists—a true firecracker and serial creator whose boldness, energy, and generosity shine through in everything she makes. An award-winning mixed media artist, Peggy has been celebrated across Lakeland’s art shows for her expressive use of color, fearless experimentation, and playful spirit.
With Peggy at the helm, no material or object is left behind. She has an extraordinary ability to transform anything—papers, textiles, found objects, paints, or textures—into vibrant works of art. Every scrap becomes story, every object becomes possibility. Her process is one of joyful reinvention, turning the overlooked into the unforgettable.
Her pieces burst with movement and emotion, layered with color and texture that draw viewers in. Collectors and fellow artists alike love Peggy for her courage to take risks, her authenticity, and the way she constantly finds beauty in the unexpected.
Award-winner at regional art shows, including First Place for Mixed Media at the Strawberry Festival Fine Art Show. Regularly featured in Lakeland exhibitions and juried events that showcase her playful experimentation and emotive works.
Comic Book Artist and Co-Creator & DJ from Lakeland
Aaron Conley
Aaron Conley is a talented comic book artist and DJ whose work spans fantasy, illustration, and performance. You might recognize him from Notta Gallery’s Grand-ish opening, where he kept the vibes alive spinning records into the evening. His art, like his sound, is charismatic, bold, and deeply personal.
Art Career & Mediums
- Aaron is the artist and co-creator of Sabertooth Swordsman (Dark Horse Comics) and Bully Wars (with Skottie Young, Image Comics).
- He has worked with top clients in the comic and entertainment world: Marvel, Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Ghostface Killah, and Tenacious D among them.
- In 2014, Aaron won the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award, recognizing his rising influence in the comic book illustration community. Aaron Conley Art+1
DJ & Community Presence
- Beyond the page, Aaron is known locally for his electrifying presence as a DJ—bringing musical energy to gallery openings like Notta’s, and enhancing the environment of live art experiences.
- His dual roles (visual creator + music curator) bring a signature mix of culture, creativity, and atmosphere—whether someone is here for art, community, or both.
Aaron's illustration style blends detailed fantasy elements, heroic forms, and expressive line work. Aaron's comic art is energetic, vivid, with storytelling built into every panel.
As a Lakeland native, Aaron’s work often reflects local culture, lived experience, and the creative energy of community.
3D Artist & Digital Photographer
Jeremy Rivera
Jeremy Rivera (JeremyRiveraArt) is a Lakeland-based 3D artist, digital photographer, and mixed-media creator whose immersive works combine color, dimension, and narrative in unexpected ways. Known for installations, digital collage, photography, and 3D forms, Jeremy pushes boundaries of perception, storytelling, and environment.
Style & Artistic Vision
- Jeremy merges digital photography, 3D forms, mixed media, and immersive installation, creating pieces that are textured, visually layered, and often require viewer interaction—such as viewing with 3D glasses.
- His imagery often carries a narrative bent—stories glimpsed in details, emotion in light and shadow, design woven with concept. He uses color, shape, form, and depth to immerse the viewer. Instagram+1
- Though well known for vivid work and color, Jeremy integrates dimensionality to engage space and audience in ways that go beyond flat imagery. The interaction with environment is key.
Career & Presence
- Active on Instagram and social platforms under @jeremyriveraart, sharing both photographic work and installations.
- Featured on ArtCall for works like “Traveling Through Wimauma”, with pieces that come with 3D glasses so the immersive effect can be fully experienced.
- He’s expressed a longstanding aspiration to show art in fine art galleries downtown Lakeland. Facebook+1
Why His Work Moves People
- Jeremy’s work is sensory and immersive—color, dimension, light, and visual storytelling converge to create experiences, not just images.
- There is a feeling of narrative mystery in many of his pieces—something found, something half-seen, something imagined.
- His art invites you to look twice, to shift perspective, and to explore what lies between the seen & the felt.
Painter, Printmaker & Educator with National Reach
John Jacopelle
John Jacopelle is a modernist artist and former instructor/gallery director whose work spans painting, printmaking, and gallery curation. With a rich academic pedigree, decades of exhibition experience across the United States and England, and a style that blends expressive color with thoughtful form, John is a creator whose presence influences both student and collector alike.
Background & Career
- John holds a BFA from the School of Art & Design at Purchase College, State University of New York.
- He took graduate coursework at the University of Albany.
- He is retired Gallery Director and Instructor at Pratt University at Munson Williams Proctor Art Institute in Utica, New York.
🖌 Artistic Style & Philosophy
- John works primarily in painting, with a strong foundation in printmaking. john jacopelle©+1
- His method is exploratory: process-driven, letting color, gesture, form, and “the act of doing” guide the evolution of a piece. He embraces ambiguity and visual language, allowing shapes, rhythmic lines, and graphic marks to emerge as part of a larger expressive conversation.
- His palette is rich and vibrant, often punctuated by lighter gradients and surprising, crisp outlines. The compositions combine both soft, organic shapes and bold, structured geometry. Saatchi Art
Exhibitions, Teaching & Influence
- John has shown in solo gallery exhibitions up and down the East Coast, and has participated in many juried and group shows throughout the U.S. and in England.
- He has curated over seventy-five exhibitions, organized lectures, demonstrations, and receptions during his tenure, especially at Pratt University’s School of Art Gallery.
Life & Studio
John maintains studios in both Lake Wales, Florida and upstate New York, anchoring his life between these two regions.