The often dulled colours (with precisely aimed infusions of brighter hues) of Ric Stultz's work of gouache, gesso and ink on paper can be deceptive, hiding a sense of humour as the artist makes sharp commentary on the times. Creatures that are blends of technology and tentacles live out lives as best they can; objects that should not behave at all take the stage; and motion and emotion get in the way of the mundane. Stultz, who is influenced by "crickets who are fed to other animals, a good pair of headphones, bumblebee hives, Rhodia notebooks and wine labels" among many more lively inspirations, is a Milwaukee-based painter and illustrator.

Artist: Ric Stultz
+ ricstultz.com

Although Pamela Michelle Johnson's work reflects a North American tendency towards overindulgence and over-consumption, the realism of her paintings cannot help but draw us in. Attracted by the simple beauty of single images, we eat it up: Johnson's work is like a quick fix. Only when we are left with the detritus of our greed can we stand back and see that the scale and quantities are designed to mimic our habits and weaknesses. Our comfort foods can turn against us.

Artist: Pamela Michelle Johnson
+ pamelamichellejohnson.com

Wayne White takes lithographic reproductions of classic landscapes as his canvases so that their kitsch iconography can serve as a suitable backdrop for the juxtaposition of his contemporary phrasing. White's letters grow out of the landscape in a surreal sort of way, at once organic yet also somewhat out of place. The phrases participate within their surroundings as best they can, providing an interpretation of both the scene and the contrast.

Artist: Wayne White
+ mireillemoslerltd.com

Steve Hough uses reflective colour-shifting car paint to create moments of stillness on carved and sanded plastic panel. Soft ripples in the water are captured forever in a milky rendition that exudes peacefulness. From being a transitional moment in time, the movement of the water becomes a state of permanence. The collection of eight paintings entitled Still begs to be touched as well as felt.

Artist: Steve Hough
+ zggallery.com

An exhibition of Attaboy's new work has just opened at the POVevolving Gallery in Los Angeles. Some of the featured work includes elaborately stencilled enamel on clear acrylic panels, allowing the work to really pop. An array of exotic, mysterious characters who could be from the underground, outer space or both appear to float out from the walls, poised to sting or bite. See what Attaboy has to say about his work, which also includes vinyl figures: "If dinosaurs were meant to create oil, i think we humans are here to create plastic. And i think plastic is forever. Like the need for religion, or even various plastic religions. There's nothing like plastic with spray varnish to withstand the test of time. I'm making art for the damn cockroaches and lung brained jelly pop humans to enjoy 600 years from now."

Artist: Attaboy
+ povevolving.com

The portraits in the People I Know series by Bill Sullivan are oil paintings based on black and white photographs. These hyperrealist large-scale paintings may well appear to be photos, but a close inspection of the brushstrokes will reveal a subtle palette of pastel tones as well. The medium surprises us, luring us closer so that we can examine a very painterly presentation. Sullivan's focus in this collection is the variety of contrasts, tones and spaces, as well as an investigation of the nuances of the colour spectrum that is involved in the various printing processes of black and white photography.

Artist: Bill Sullivan
+ billsullivanworks.com

Picture Day in the Garden is an upcoming exhibition of paintings by California artist Erik Mark Sandberg. Portraits of the Hairy Children make up a body of work that is at once unsettling and compelling. Viewers must look past, or through, the layer of hair that prevents direct access to the children's features. In doing so, they must fight the immediate revulsion that comes when exposed to an unfamiliar notion of beauty or appearance. A reaction to the influence of media and marketing on today's children, Sandberg's series is an eye-opener.

Artist: Erik Mark Sandberg
+ johanssen-gallery.com

Russell Maurice's work combines a graffiti aesthetic with "recurring themes of energy, growth patterns and cycles in nature." Work from his new show, Given Up the Ghost, introduces notions of the spirit world and life and death to expand upon these themes. Many of the paintings have been done on old silkscreens or silkscreen mesh, giving the work an ethereal quality and further emphasizing the layers of their stories. Cartoon-like elements add to the intrigue.

Artist: Russell Maurice
+ stolenspace.com

Some people never think about art. Those who do sometimes take it for granted. But for those who create and whose work is their livelihood, art is ever present. One of our favourite artists is Kiersten Essenpreis. Her illustrations and paintings are quirky, mysterious and tidily bold. Her command of narrative is such that a painting almost becomes a book. A floral virus steals into a winter scene; a girl with an architectural hairstyle sits daydreaming languidly; an elegant young man and woman have eaten of the sleepy pie.

Essenpreis is currently troubled by an ailment that has affected her right hand: her most important tool. To raise funds to cover the sort of medical bills no artist wants to face, Essenpreis is selling some of her paintings At Great Prices (subtle way of saying check out the sale!) to save her hand. To own a piece of art by Kiersten Essenpreis is a great pleasure; to have the opportunity to do so more comfortably is a chance that should not be missed.

Artist: Kiersten Essenpreis
+ youfail.com

New work by Josh Keyes, in a show called Sprout, is themed around the notion of overgrowth. The natural world becomes entangled with the urban landscape, as everyone and everything tries to find a place. And what if man were to be eliminated from the picture? How would nature reclaim the space? Keyes' paintings offer an odd sort of hope, as nature takes on the challenge. The deer and antelope are no longing playing, but battling the changes wrought by man.

Artist: Josh Keyes
+ davidbsmithgallery.com

Many layers of images make up COOP's recent bold work. An action hero, comic book style comes through loud and clear in pop art that is provocative and lively. The movement in the work is apparent; this is not peaceful art by which to meditate. Instead, COOP offers a frenzy of sex, fast cars and the Devil himself (and herself). B-movie sin is celebrated, and familiar COOP iconography is revived and given new life, larger than ever.

Artist: COOP
+ coreyhelfordgallery.com