Cristen Miller graduated with a BFA and MFA from Academy of Art University’s School of Fine Art. Her work specializes in painting landscapes with oils and pastels. She has been exhibited in fine art galleries nationwide and has won numerous awards in national competitions. Miller’s paintings and drawings have been featured in the magazines “Southwest Art” and “Pastel Journal” and in the contemporary drawing book series Strokes of Genius. Corporate and private clients, including the CEO of Ameritrade and the owner of the Chicago Cubs, have collected Miller’s work. She has been teaching at Academy of Art University since 2001, teaching Color and Design, Figure Drawing, Analysis of Form, and Pastel Painting. She now holds the position of Director of Foundations..

Kris Komsthoeft has worked in the Graphic Arts field for over 16 years in the Silicon Valley. She has managed graphic departments for eight years for companies including Atari. As sole proprietor of her graphics business, she creates collateral literature as well as many graphic illustrations for a number of electronics companies, notably Apple Computer.

She is also an active landscape painter, both Plein air and in her studio, when not teaching.

Kris has two BFA degrees in Art; the first from University of California, Santa Cruz in Fine Art, and the second more recent degree from the Academy of Art University in Illustration. She has been teaching at the Academy of Art University for twelve years.