Topher Straus
Master | Instructor | Mentor
My process includes modern technology and methods that haven’t been around very long, and are rarely utilized by creators of fine art. I start with a photograph of a natural landscape (mountains, rivers, oceans, etc). I examine the photo and look for the most intriguing aspects of the image and for the most prominent colors. Then I take my stylus and select specific colors from the original image—turning it into my palette—and paint over the photograph with those original colors.
Once I’ve obsessed over the minute details, and I feel content with the quality and composition of the digital painting, I sublimate the painting onto an aluminum sheet—the sublimation process bonds dye to the aluminum on a molecular level. The aluminum sheet is then coated in a glossy resin, to give it a partially mirrored finish.
The end result is a well-known landscape engulfed in contoured lines that superimpose the autogenous beauty of the original photograph. I take recognizable, natural landscapes and convert them into a modern array of sharp lines—blending and contorting them up the slope of a mountain or shaping the soft, blurred lines of a waterfall. My zest for transcending established iconography makes for a unique combination of traditional vistas and modern style.
EXPERTISE
NOTE: In his Mastermind Group, Topher will be focusing on Marketing and Branding. Topher will support artists in developing their online presence with website design, artist statement & cv, social media, exhibits, approaching galleries, selling online, production, and more. Topher will not be teaching on his digital painting technique but translating his knowledge for artists in any medium.
Colour & Composition
Tools & Materials
Studio Set-Up
How To Self Critique
Art Critiques
Technique Demos
Bio & CV
Shows & Exhibits
Social Media
Pricing Artwork
Selling Online
Approaching Galleries
Art as a Business
Products & Prints
Licensing
Marketing & Branding
This Mastermind+ is for
Emerging Artists
What Is An Emerging Artist?
You’ve taken workshops/courses and have already been selling your work to friends, family, and in community shows, markets and beyond.
Now you’re ready to take it to the next level!
YOU’RE INTERESTED IN:
- art critiques - getting expert feedback on your artwork
- selling - learn how to sell your artwork
- pricing
- building your brand and marketing, leveraging social media well
- earning a steady income in an unsteady economy
- how to approach galleries and/or go solo successfully
- business skills - learn the mechanics of creating and sustaining a business as an artist
- production - studio set-up and time management to maximize production
- art licensing - what products to create, how to find a reputable producer
CHOOSE YOUR GROUP
TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN A NEW GROUP LAUNCHES, JOIN THE ARTISTS’ NETWORK BELOW!
Emerging Artist
Mastermind+ Membership- Starts Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
- 5pm to 7pm MT (7pm to 9pm ET)
- Then, every 4th Wednesday of the month thereafter
- 2 HOUR videoconference session every month
- TRUSTED small group of 8 Emerging Artists
- MASTER ARTIST of your choice. Pick a new Master every 6 months!
- NAVIGATOR permanently assigned to your group to facilitate, guide and support
- CONNECT between sessions via private chat forum
- ART CRITIQUES take your artwork from good to exceptional with direct feedback.
- BUSINESS ADVICE on: creating and sustaining a business as an artist, building your brand and marketing, how to approach galleries and/or go solo successfully, studio set-up and time management to maximize production, art licensing, and more!
- APPRENTICESHIP BADGE for your CV. Awarded upon completion of 1 year in any Emerging Artist Mastermind Group(s)!
About The Artist

Topher Straus’s body of work represents an unconventional, stylized approach to depicting natural and urban landscapes. Sublimated onto large-scale metal sheets, they are powerful statement pieces that instantly surprise and engage the viewer. His process merges technology with an artist’s eye for form and color to highlight the essence of each subject matter, allowing his digital creations to pop off the metal substrate.
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado in 1974, Straus grew up enjoying every opportunity to hike, ski, camp or otherwise spending time outdoors in nature.
He left to study at Syracuse University in New York receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997. His first career in directing documentary narrative films and advertising, took him to Los Angeles and later, New Zealand. His achievements in this medium included the appearance of his films numerous international film festivals.
In 2018, after a decade of professional filmmaking, Straus returned to Denver and shifted his focus. He began fervently working toward becoming a full-time fine artist, hosting his first solo show in 2019. His second solo show, The Parks, debuted at a Denver gallery and garnered attention for his modern approach to the depiction of iconic landscapes, solidifying his style, vision and emergence into the art scene. The exhibit was also featured later that year at the American Mountaineering Museum. His colorful and dynamic work has been exhibited in galleries, institutions, museums and private collections in California, New York and Colorado.
Straus is proud to have been recognized on a national level with the US National Park Service. Beginning in 2021 his “Tetons National Park” painting will be on permanent exhibit at the visitor’s center in the Grand Tetons National park in Wyoming.
Straus is an active, enthusiastic promoter of his own work and the art community as a whole. He currently lives and works above Denver in the foothills of Golden, Colorado surrounded by the wilderness that inspires him.
Be the First to Know!
When you join the Artists' Network you'll get FIRST DIBS on all NEW Mastermind Groups.
You'll also, receive helpful advice, articles and book suggestions to help you level-up your talent.
WHAT to expect...
Advice, Training & Mentorship by a Master Artist + Peer-to-Peer Learning in a Trusted Small Group

2-hour monthly
videoconference meeting with MASTER ARTIST & NAVIGATOR & small group

Practice-based HOMEWORK
& ACCOUNTABILITY

INFORMATIVE & HONEST conversation

Navigator permanently assigned to your group, accountable for your growth trajectory

CONFIDENTIAL discussion board & access to all session RECORDINGS

Travel with a new Master every 3-6 months to bring NEW EXPERTISE & SKILL TRAINING

What is LevellingUp?
Many of us feel like we’re “going it alone” in our relationships & careers, and we’re looking for people to join us on our journey, for community and support.
By combining interactive coaching, mentorship and collaborative community, LevellingUp offers a unique, powerful and affordable opportunity for growing professionals like you to secure success and experience joy.