Every Issue Reborn: Explore Our Archive . Issue 7
Mark Heine: Painter of Imaginative Realism and Narrative Worlds
Mark Heine is a Canadian imaginative realist painter with more than four decades of international experience. Raised in a deeply artistic environment, he grew up surrounded by sculptors, architects, and artisans in the monumental studio of his father, the renowned artist Harry Heine. Educated in the Applied Arts Program at Capilano University, Heine has built a distinguished career with exhibitions in galleries across North America and Europe, including the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) in Barcelona.
His work has received more than 40 national and international awards and is included in the Lunar Codex, an artistic archive destined for permanent placement on the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis Project. Both a painter and a storyteller, Heine approaches art as a narrative medium; his Sirens series merges literature and painting into a richly symbolic fictional universe. He lives and works in Victoria, Canada.
The Next Chapter: Artists to Discover
Mark Heine: Where Painting Returns to Storytelling
In September 2017, the magazine cover featured Mark Heine, one of contemporary imaginative realism’s leading figures. Raised in a uniquely artistic environment and with an international career spanning over four decades, Heine has developed a body of work where painting and storytelling converge. Celebrated for his technical mastery and ability to create richly symbolic worlds, this issue highlighted not only his painterly skill but also his role as a visual storyteller, foreshadowing his acclaimed Sirens series, where each painting captures a moment from a larger narrative universe.
Stories, Art, and Vision
The September 2017 issue featured a rich selection of content celebrating contemporary art and artists. Highlights included Interviews of the Month with Iva Troj and Milan Hrnjazovic, in-depth features on artists Lo Chan Peng, Samantha Shumaker, Graham Bruce Richards, and Steven Kenny, as well as the recognition of Karel Balcar as Artist of the Month and Chijia He as Artist of the Year. This issue offered readers an engaging journey through today’s creative scene, highlighting both established masters and rising talents.
Artist of the Month
Artist of the Month
KAREL BALCAR . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 7
Karel Balcar, from the Czech Republic, captivates with his candid insolence and flamboyant taste for decadence. His work confronts viewers with the sensual paradox of human objectification and gender fluidity, exploring the inescapable tension between youthful beauty and the inevitable decay of mortality. Through figurative oil paintings grounded in solid classical technique, Balcar fearlessly tackles these provocative themes, creating works that are as visually striking as they are conceptually daring.
Featured Artists
Featured Artists
STEVEN KENNY . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 7
Steven Kenny (born 1962, Peekskill, NY) is an American painter known for his surreal and imaginative realism. He earned his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and has exhibited widely in the US, Europe, and Australia, with works in collections including the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art and Museo Arte Contemporanea Sicilia.
Kenny’s paintings explore the human condition, dreams, and surreal narratives, blending classical technique with visionary imagination. His work has earned numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the New River Valley Art Biennial (2023) and recognition from the Art Renewal Center and the British Fantasy Society.
He is also an educator and museum docent, having lectured internationally and participated in the United States Mint Artist Infusion Program, sharing his expertise in technical mastery and imaginative storytelling.
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
CHIJIA HE . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 7
INTERVIEWS
INTERVIEWS
IVA TROJ . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 7
Iva Troj is an acclaimed contemporary artist, recognized for Artistic Excellence, including Artist of the Year 2016, the Palm Award, and the Towry Best of England Award 2013. Born in Bulgaria, she studied art in California and later moved to Sweden, where she completed a second bachelor’s degree and a master’s in science and philosophy. She currently works in the United Kingdom.
Troj’s work seamlessly combines traditional painting techniques with postmodern elements, producing Renaissance-style pieces that challenge societal conformity. Deeply inspired by Japanese culture, her landscapes often feature nude Renaissance figures alongside unusual characters and icons, reflecting her fascination with the beauty of imperfection and the realities beneath surface appearances.
MILAN HRNJAZOVIC . THE GUIDE ARTISTS MAGAZINE ISSUE 7
Milan Hrnjazovic (born 1982) lives and works in Serbia. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Belgrade University of Arts and works in mixed media, combining painting and photography, exhibiting in Europe and reviewed in US art magazines and blogs.
His work focuses on the human body as a reflection of society, relationships, and mentality, exploring desires, dreams, fears, and anxiety. Through distortions, swirls, and symbolic motifs, he highlights the turbulent and unpredictable nature of social change, while making satirical remarks on narcissism, greed, and alienation.
