Artefex Ambassadors: Master Artists Defining the Future of Archival Art Supports

Precision and Legacy in Contemporary Realism

As the Assistant Director at the Academy of Realist Art Boston, Julie Beck is a leading voice in contemporary realism. Her work—a blend of mathematical precision and narrative depth—requires a surface that supports highly rendered details and meticulous color transitions. She demands museum-grade longevity, ensuring every masterpiece is built on a foundation that will never warp or decay.

Julie’s surface of choice is the Artefex 538 Allinpanel. She relies on the extra-fine Belle Arti linen for its unique balance of smoothness and "grab," allowing for intricate work without the paint sliding. By combining this premium Italian linen with a rigid ACM core, the 538 provides the archival security and professional feel Julie needs to maintain her high standards of craftsmanship.

Christopher Remmers: Visionary Realism & Classical Mastery

Christopher Remmers is a contemporary figurative painter whose work blends classical realism with deep symbolic narrative. His large-scale compositions explore the intersections of mythology and the human psyche, rendered with a technical precision rooted in intensive traditional training. Christopher’s work has gained international recognition, including prestigious awards from the Art Renewal Center (ARC) and features in major exhibitions.

For his complex layering and fine glazes, Christopher requires a surface with absolute stability. He utilizes Artefex Honeycomb and ACM panels to provide the rigid, archival foundation that traditional stretched canvas lacks. These professional supports eliminate the risk of movement or sagging, allowing him to focus on intricate detail and ensuring his work remains structurally sound for centuries.

Shana Levenson: Precision and Contemporary Realism

Shana Levenson is a leading representational painter known for her hyperrealistic portraits and intricate studies of lace and jewelry. With an MFA from the Academy of Art University and a background in fashion design, she blends technical mastery with modern surrealism to capture the strength and beauty of her subjects. Her work is exhibited in premier galleries worldwide, including Rehs and Sugarlift in NYC.

To achieve the extreme level of detail her style requires, Shana relies on Artefex panels. The rigid ACM core provides an ultra-smooth, "dead-flat" surface that eliminates the movement and texture found in traditional canvas. This stability allows her to execute fine glazes and precise brushwork on a foundation engineered for museum-grade longevity.

Shane Wolf: Mastery of the Figural Form

Shane Wolf is a world-renowned figurative artist who bridges Italian Renaissance traditions with a modern perspective. Trained and later a professor at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Wolf works exclusively from live models to capture the authentic energy and anatomical precision of the human form. His mastery has earned him prestigious honors, including the Prix Taylor, the Bronze Medal at the Carrousel du Louvre, and top awards from the Art Renewal Center (ARC).

For his large-scale and monumental works, Wolf utilizes Artefex ChartaPanel Honeycomb supports. These aerospace-grade panels provide the absolute rigidity required for heavy oil layers and charcoal work while remaining exceptionally lightweight. By using a "dead-flat" honeycomb core, Wolf ensures his compositions are preserved on a warp-resistant foundation engineered for museum-grade longevity, free from the structural movement of traditional canvas.

Elizabeth Zanzinger: Archival Excellence in Classical Realism

Elizabeth Zanzinger is an award-winning painter who integrates disciplined classical training with a contemporary, rhythmic voice. A graduate of the Grand Central Academy and a faculty member for the Portrait Society of America, her work has earned international recognition from the Art Renewal Center (ARC). Her paintings are represented in the permanent collection of the MEAM in Barcelona, reflecting a high-caliber mastery of luminous color and anatomical precision.

To ensure the technical longevity of her work, Zanzinger utilizes Artefex Oil Primed ACM and Oleo 411 Panels. These rigid foundations eliminate the structural risks associated with traditional canvas, providing the stable surface tension required for her complex oil layers. By selecting professional-grade supports engineered for archival stability, she ensures that her rhythmic brushwork and delicate glazes are preserved for future generations without the threat of environmental degradation.

Casey Childs is an award-winning figurative and portrait painter based in Utah, originally from Powell, Wyoming. He apprenticed with portraitist William Whitaker and has earned the Oil Painters of America Gold Medal and multiple Portrait Society of America honors.

He paints on the Artefex 533 Allinpanel, fine lead-primed linen on a rigid ACM core that stays dead flat and keeps every glaze and fine line exactly where it was placed. His Casey Childs Workshop Panel gives students the same studio-ready surface.

TJ Cunningham is a classical landscape oil painter rooted in the Vermont countryside that inspired plein air legends Aldro Hibbard and Emile Gruppe. Named to Southwest Art's 21 Under 31, he has earned honors from the PleinAir Salon, Portrait Society of America, Art Renewal Center, and Oil Painters of America.

He paints on the Artefex 537 Fine Allinpanel Oil Primed Linen, whose warmth and tooth feel like traditional canvas while the rigid ACM core removes flex and warp from his layered, glazed technique.

Arthur Gain is a Russian-born figurative painter based in Barcelona, where he teaches alla prima portrait painting and mentors artists.

He chooses Artefex for its flat ACM core and the smooth, predictable brush feel of oil-primed extra-fine linen, and recommends the same panels to his students. The Arthur Gain Art Panels bundle matches his class demos, with 9x12 Oleopanels 411, a 12x16 Allinpanel 538, and a 5x7 linen trial pack.

Jeremy Goodding is an internationally acclaimed still life painter, a Master Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, and currently the organization's President. Working from his Nebraska studio, he builds compositions around the subtle drama of light, color, and movement.

He paints on the Artefex 532 Extra Fine Allinpanel, whose ultra-smooth Italian linen over an aluminum composite core lets him render microscopic detail without canvas grain getting in the way.

Blair Atherholt is an award-winning traditional still life painter trained at the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore. He holds Master Artist status with the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society and Signature Membership with Oil Painters of America.

He paints on the Artefex Oleopanel 411 Smooth Finish, whose refined oil-primed surface accepts the tight, controlled brushwork his precise still lifes demand.

Catherine Bobkoski is a Los Angeles-based fine artist known for poetic still life and floral paintings, and winner of the Silver Medal at the 2025 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibition. She teaches at New Masters Academy and The Watts Atelier.

She paints on the Artefex 532 Allinpanel, whose extra-fine Italian linen over a rigid aluminum composite core gives her a dead-flat surface for layering value and texture without bounce or sagging.

Eric Johnson is a leading figure in contemporary representational art and the primary instructor at the Academy of Realist Art Boston, where he bridges traditional atelier technique with modern accessibility.

He paints on the Artefex 538 Titanium Oil Primed Linen Extra Fine Allinpanel, whose traditional linen over a rigid aluminum support gives him a non-absorbent foundation built for longevity.

Jackson Wrede is a rising voice in contemporary American realism, based in Seattle and a member of the inaugural Seattle Prize Fellowship. He won First Place in the Portrait Society of America's Member's Only Competition and was named to Southwest Art's 21 Under 31.

He paints on the Artefex 411 Oleopanel, whose lead-primed, rigid ACM core gives his portraiture structural security and archival quality.

Jess Currier is a Los Angeles-based fine artist whose work sits between realism and impressionism, pairing bold, textural light with delicate floral patterns. She holds an MFA from the Academy of Art University and has exhibited across the United States and Europe.

She paints on the Artefex 537 Allinpanel Oil Primed Fine Linen, whose oil-primed Italian linen lets translucent floral glazes sit beside thick impasto without losing vibrancy.

Mary Sauer is a Kentucky-born figurative oil painter who has exhibited widely across the US, including over a dozen New York City shows, and received a 2014 Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant. She bridges 19th-century technique with modern ideas of identity and social performance.

She paints on the Artefex Oleopanel 411 Smooth, whose lead oil priming gives the adhesion and luminous, responsive ground her layered figurative work needs.

Miriam Hoffmann is a contemporary mixed-media portrait artist who lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Germany and raised in the United States, she is self-taught and began painting in 2020.

Her figurative work, exhibited with Arcadia Contemporary, combines ink, acrylic, and oil to explore themes of fatigue, angst, and disconnect.

Stephanie Gaffney is a world-class live wedding painter and founder of Torregrossa Fine Art, with over a decade of capturing one-time events for hundreds of couples. As creator of the Wedding Painter's Blueprint, she also mentors emerging artists.

She paints on the Artefex 532 Allinpanel Lead Primed Extra Fine Linen, whose traditional feel and aluminum-backed stability give her a reliable surface for unpredictable on-location work.

Stephanie Paige Thomson is an Indianapolis-based fine artist known for portraits, landscapes, and the occasional still life. Rather than entering a traditional art program, she trained by apprenticing under leading artists through workshops.

She is a Portrait Society of America Award of Excellence winner and International Portrait Competition finalist, and has served as faculty at the Portrait Society's International Arts Conference.

Todd M. Casey is a distinguished still life painter, educator, and bestselling author of The Art of Still Life and The Oil Painters' Color Handbook. He teaches at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art.

He paints on the Artefex 530 Acrylic Primed Medium Linen Allinpanel, whose balanced tooth and rigid ACM core give him crisp edge control and a flat, climate-proof surface for his introspective still lifes.