Meet
the
Artists!
Amanda E. Hoppe
With 25 years in education and 15+ years as an award-winning theatre director and production designer, Amanda transforms ideas into experiences that move people. She has built programs from scratch, developed technical theatre training for young students, and shaped immersive environments that dazzle — from over 100 staged productions to French boudoir-inspired lounges.
As a visual artist, Amanda works in gouache, watercolor, and pastel, blending bold color and expressive texture to capture emotion and story on the page. She loves to capture a story in a landscape, creating an emotional connection to the world she is portraying on her canvas. Recently, Amanda began her formal education pursuing her Master’s in Illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. Excelling in color theory and form, her artistic practice fuels her design eye and informs her artistic style.
In addition to her artistic endevors as a freelance artist, Amanda is currently developing two children’s books — including Sage on Stage and The Adventures of ROBI the Robot — which inspire courage, creativity, and life skills through grand storytelling and art.
Now pursuing a Master’s in Art Therapy at West Liberty University, Amanda is expanding her artistry into spaces of healing and growth. At the core of her work is a simple belief: art tells the stories we need most — whether on stage, in a book, or in the spaces we inhabit.
Luis Julian Medina Torruellas
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1982, he discovered his love for art at an early age and has been drawing ever since. His early training began in school and continued at Ponce High School under the mentorship of Puerto Rican artist Luis “Tato” González, where he also took part in his first exhibition at the School of Fine Arts in Ponce.
He later continued his artistic development at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, earning a bachelor’s degree in visual arts in 2007. During this time, he apprenticed with artist Luis Borrero, where he strengthened his artistic discipline and deepened his understanding of traditional art methods. While exploring a range of mediums, including printmaking and sculpture, he remained most connected to painting and drawing.
His work has been exhibited throughout Puerto Rico, and his career naturally expanded into comics and illustration. He began with ARTIFICE in 2008 and later spent over a decade contributing to the Gravestone™ graphic novel series with Utopixia Studios, focusing on digital color and visual storytelling.
After relocating to Florida in 2013, he continued to grow both as an artist and educator, teaching at the Crealdé School of Art and later working as a K–5 visual art teacher. These experiences continue to shape his approach, blending technical skill with a passion for sharing art with others.
More recently, his work has expanded into children’s illustration. In 2025 and 2026, he collaborated with author Gretchen K. Webber on the Beanie the Weenie series, illustrating chapters such as Frank the Tank and Stanky Frankie. He is currently developing his own fully hand-drawn and watercolor-painted children’s book while completing his master’s degree in Illustration at the Academy of Art University since 2024.
His work reflects a lifelong dedication to storytelling through image, combining traditional techniques with contemporary illustration.