Works by gifted artists

Beverly Borland

Beverly Borland is presently co-chairwoman of Tropical Botanic Artists, a collective of Miami-based botanic artists who pursue the beauty of tropical plants through art and also a member of Miami Watercolor Society. Her works are now on display, including photography, in permanent collections in the US, Morocco, Florida International University & the Kona Kai Resort & Gallery. 

Originally from Southern California, she is now retired from Los Angeles Superior Court where she worked as a Judicial Assistant for 27 years and now relocated to Miami. She has an Associate of Arts degree in Studio Art & has traveled nearly all the United States, Europe and North Africa & has a real appreciation for different customs, life styles, scenery & enjoying the moment.

Bill Harrington

Bill Harrington was so fascinated with life in the ocean that his parents worried he might grow gills! He earned a degree in Marine Biology from Yale & a Masters in Marine Park Management from the University of Rhode Island.

After serving in the Army, he moved over to the commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and has served as a deck officer on a research vessel, helicopter pilot, Sanctuary Manager Director of Special Operations & head of the National Marine Sanctuary Program & head of the planning & management section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia. Bill built his own underwater camera housing in 1970 and since then has made thousands of dives in the Caribbean & Pacific where he's continued to take photos & write hundreds of dive travel articles, principally for Skin Diver, Sport Diver & Alert Diver.

Beth Kaminstein

Beth Kaminstein was born in NYC and received her BA (drawing,ceramics, and dance) from Bennington College, Bennington, VT, in 1976. She currently resides in Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Prior to coming to the Keys in the late '80s, Kaminstein coupled an artistic studio life with running the family hardware store in NYC. Before that, she lived and worked in Florence, Italy while independently studying Renaissance art.

While in NYC, Kaminstein designed and built a small apartment building that included large, ceramic tiles for the streetside façade. While in the Keys, Kaminstein worked with Jersey Devil, a design-build team, to build her home, including a studio, on the ocean in Islamorada. She also worked with Jersey Devil to design a school she founded with friends called the Montessori Island School, which became the Montes- sori Island Charter School, and eventually Treasure Village Montessori Charter School. She helped create the charter for Ocean Studies Charter School, where she is currently a board member. Kaminstein continued working as a studio artist while helping her late husband, Ron Levy, form the incorporated municipality of Islamorada Village of Islands. She completed a public art project with t h eJersey Devil to create ceramic tiles for roundabouts, mile markers, and logos for various pathways of the Greenways trail system through Broward County.

Kaminstein is inspired by her tropical environment and her community as well as her
ongoing study of painting and sculpture. She teaches clay classes, gives workshops, curates exhibitions, and participates in various gallery shows. She recently received the South Florida Cultural Consortium award for Monroe County. She is active in her community as an arts and education advocate and as a member of the Art in Public Place committee for Monroe County.

Dorotoa Czapska Dordova

Coming from a family of artists it is no wonder that since five years old Doraota has demonstrated the same passion creating oil paintings & acrylic on canvas with such skill, precision & wild imagination. She was born in Poland where she lived for 20 years & studied at Warsaw University & Art School. 

After graduating with her Masters degree she moved to the Florida Keys which inspired her to paint tropical art on buildings, canvas & paper. She also finished her dive course experiencing ocean life first hand which gave her a whole new meaning to life. After many years living in Marathon & Islamorada she moved back to Europe to live in Scech Republic while continuing to paint as she travels to places like Africa & Asia.

Greg Sobran

Greg Sobran was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1947, where his father was a tool designer & engineer & his mother a professional portrait painter whom he learned from at a young age. From youth into adulthood he admired the work of Albert Marquet, John Singer Sargent, & the Canadian Group of Seven & was encouraged by his painting professor to paint "en plein air" long before the recent re-popularization of this artistic approach. 

After graduating from Eastern Michigan University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree he created commercial art for a living while continuing to paint outdoors as a hobbyist & freelancer until 1989 when he exclusively made his living from his fine art & now travels almost constantly to paint the majority of his scenes on location. Greg, his wife Wanda & their little dog Jigs spend time in Europe, South Florida, California, Rocky Mountains & summers on Northern Lake Michigan. “I’m not interested in confronting people with social commentary,” he says. “I’ll leave that up to other people. The world is a beautiful place, and it’s my joy to go outside and paint it.”

James Ferrara

James Ferrara, a professional photographer & avid diver specializes in underwater imagery while his portfolio extends to landscapes, waves, wildlife & celestial scenery. At a very young age James’s family moved to South Florida & living in coastal communities over the past 35 years has centered his life around the ocean while instilling a deep love for the marine world & its inhabitants inspiring him to travel to remote ocean environments capturing unique imagery. 

He believes he gets his eye for composition & creative passion from his mother, who is also an accomplished artist. After playing college baseball & graduating with a Business degree at Flagler College, James returned home where he’s been employed with the Martin County Fire Rescue as a Firefighter/Paramedic for 15 years. His photos have been featured by National Geographic, BBC Earth, Discovery & now Kona Kai Resort & Gallery in Key Largo. He's also received “Highly Commended” honors in some of the world’s most prestigious underwater photography competitions, including the Ocean Photography Awards & Underwater Photographer of the Year. He hopes his scintillating images of life in the ocean evoke a profound curiosity & interest in our aquatic habitats locally & around the world.

Jennifer Seeley

Jennifer Seeley is a watercolor and acrylic painter focusing on animal portraiture. She enjoys the seemingly infinite variety of colors and textures in wildlife. She has a deep appreciation for living things and her work is a celebration of this. 

Jenn is a Utah State grad, where she received her BFA in Drawing and Painting. You may recognize her work from utility boxes throughout the Salt Lake Valley, restaurants, galleries, and the many festivals she participates in throughout Utah. She gains inspiration and rejuvenation in the outdoors.

Pauline A Goldsmith

Pauline Goldsmith, originally from the United Kingdom, arrived in the United States 33 years ago making her home in Philadelphia, Boston & Miami. After 40 years in the global bio-pharmaceutical industry she retired & took up a House Manager role at Miami’s state-of-the-performing art center for four years. 

As a past board member of the American Society of Botanical Artists she still remains involved in her commitment to give back to the art community & through her art help others to understand its beauty. Co-founder of Tropical Botanic Artists, a collective of Miami-based botanic artists who pursue the beauty of tropical plants through art, Pauline remained co-chair from 2006-2016 & is currently the groups local & International exhibition coordinator. Her love of South Florida’s lush tropical vegetation has encouraged her to use watercolors or ink to translate their complex beauty to paper or vellum making her love of watercolors & intricacies of botanical art a major part of her life.