Mike Boyce - Artistry in Bronze

Mike Boyce graduated from seminary school, intent on becoming an ordained minister. But eventually, nature, which he calls "the only true thing left on the planet," became his church, and his business.

Boyce learned taxidermy, and created Animal Artistry in Reno , which now, 20 years later, is an extremely successful, global taxidermy studio. In addition, his bronze wildlife sculptures, formed using the "lost wax method," are now on display at his Artistry in Bronze gallery, and have earned him invitations to speak around the country and commissions for work scheduled through 2010.

Visit Artistry in Bronze or Animal Artistry at the corner of Terminal Way and Vassar Street , or online at artistryinbronze.com or animalartistry.com . For an appointment, call 323-0203.

Paul Herman - Great Basin Pottery

Paul Herman fell in love with pottery while attending Hug High School , and by the age of 20 was a full-time pottery artist. But Herman says his work is part art and part science.

"We're working with this gross material -- rocks and mud and big fires -- and that sets us apart from other artists," he says. "You get dirty."

About six years ago, Herman and local potter Joe Winter built a massive wood-fired kiln in Zamboni Springs (about 10 miles Southeast of Doyle, Calif. ), containing 20 tons of fire brick; it burns six cords of wood for three days. The ash and alkali from the fire creates what Herman believes is an aesthetic unmatched by gas flames. He and Winter fire the kiln twice a year, and invite potters from miles around to share the fire, drinks, food, and ideas.

To check out Paul Herman's work, or to find out about the next kiln firing, visit greatbasinpottery.com . Pieces also are available at the gift shop at the Nevada Museum of Art.

Brian Krueger – Illustrator/Artist

Brian Krueger came to Reno from Cincinnati in 2001 for a video graphics job at International Game Technology. Prior to that, Krueger, who has a BFA from Indiana State , worked for Klasky Csupo Animation (the animation company that created The Rugrats). His comedic, outrageous illustrations have appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine, Time, and others.

But although his art career is rather serious, Krueger hesitates to think of it that way. In fact, he thinks most of us take ourselves too seriously.

"I like what DuChamp said, that humans roam the earth as if they're little gods," he says. "I think that's what makes the human condition so hilarious and absurd."

His work directly comments on that absurdity: systems, pencil pushers, and "people who think the whole thing is some big deal … Actually, I believe our creator meant for ferrets to be the dominant species."

Brian Krueger's work appears on headboy.com or contact him at b_krueger@sbcglobal.net .

Steven Saylor - Evergreen Studio

Steven Saylor's work is called "photo-realism," a technique he developed in 1974, after studying the work of Maxfield Parrish. It involves glazing watercolors, layer upon layer. Each painting takes months to complete, and could take thousands of layers of paint and varnish. The result is visual depth and a luminous glow.

Most recently, he was commissioned to complete a signature art piece for the new Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center . The piece, A View from Within, was made into 200 giclée prints priced at $1,000 each with proceeds going toward the development of the hospital's new cancer center. View Saylor's work at evergreenstudio.com or visit his gallery at 400 Main St. in Dayton .

Jessica Saylor - Photography/Digital Media

Art runs in the Saylor family. Steven's daughter Jessica Saylor is a photographer, digital media artist, and singer. A 2001 graduate of the University of Nevada , Reno 's art department, Saylor developed a technique she's dubbed "scanography," which turns scanner into camera. She was inspired to create her series Digital Digits after five friends were diagnosed with cancer within a year's time. It occurred to her that the only thing that cancer doesn't change is one's fingerprint. The series earned her a Sierra Arts Foundation "Innovative Artist" grant in 2001. Digital Digits and more of Saylor's work is currently on display through Sierra Arts' External Exhibitions. Contact Sierra Arts at sierra-arts.org or by calling 329-ARTS.

Lately, Saylor's been focusing on her performance career. A talented singer with theater arts training, Saylor was signed by both Carnival and Celebrity Cruise Lines to sing in both ensemble and cabaret-style solo performances.