Diane Destiny July 2012 Featured Artist

Encaustic

Artists Statement / Visionary Poetry

Diane Destiny 

Visionary Poetry is a give and take process where the artist, Diane Destiny, creates the vision based on a poem written by Joyce Stein OR the artist creates the vision and the poet responds by writing a poem based on the art piece. The images are created on the computer, printed on canvas, presented on brushed aluminum and finished as an encaustic painting. Encaustic is an archaic medium that literally means “to burn.” My work is a contemporary expression executing the Ancient use of Pigmented Wax. The medium of encaustic is the master of layer after layer of intrigue resulting in multiple surprises.

Poetry makes the reader experience through the verse and its rhythm the thoughts and feelings of the poet. The words chosen are based on the poet’s reaction to the visual impact of the art piece. Words have their own color and shape and the artist reacts to them with her individual vision of their meaning.

The art piece and the poem are designed to complement each other. Each Painting is accompanied by an audio recording for the viewer to listen to the Poem while viewing the Painting.  Some viewers and readers may find their own interpretation of a specific combination and that adds even more to the viewing.

Biography 

Diane Destiny received her MFA Degree from California State University, Los Angeles.  Since graduation she has taught at Mission College, CSU Northridge, Polytechnic, Pomona and CSU Los Angeles to name a few. 

She has had eight one-person exhibits, the last in Bergamot Station, Santa Monica.  Ms. Destiny has also exhibited her work in competitive and invitational Annuals and group exhibitions far too many to list. 

She received the Annual Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, Purchase Award, Brand Library Art Galleries and the Annual Westwood Art Association 1^st place cash award.  In addition she has won other prizes and awards.  She was also awarded a Sculpture Commission for Southern Colorado State University, Pueblo, Colorado. 

Her work can be found in the following publications:  “Feminists Who Changed America 1963 – 1975”, The International Library of Photography, Priceless Treasures, 1999; “Visions Art Quarterly,” 1993/94; and Guide to Artists in Southern California Art Resource Publication, Cambridge Who’s Who www.cambridgewhoswho.com, L. A. Rising So Cal Artists Before 1980 by Lyn Kienholz, Visionary Poetry self published.

Her work is in permanent collections at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC and the Brand Library, Glendale, CA


e-mail ddestny@charter.net

Website www.dianedestiny.com

For an audio presentation go to: www.dianedestiny.com

Patrick Gothard Featured Artist March 2012

A self-taught artist from the age of 13, Patrick has become a prolific painter.  Once he has a vision on his mind, he cannot stop painting until the whole concept has been explored.  His current medium is acrylic enamel paint on canvas.  However, he has been known to paint on other surfaces such as old window frames and other found objects.  Experimental thinking is always at hand with Patrick.  This current exhibit is a series of trees explored into the surreal.  The range of tree images begins with an artistic vision of realism and carries through to the artist’s vision of digital imagery.  Patrick is looking forward to speaking with all who come to see the first public exhibit of this series.

Artist Reception: Sunday, March 4, 2012 4:00 - 6:00 PM

Frank Hartley - 2012 January Featured Artist

Artist Statement


With world-renowned artist Tommaso Durante, Hartley co-produced a commissioned art book titled Chaos and Cosmos, where art and science meld “the order of beauty and the perfection of symmetries” through interaction and conflict.

Through further study and his own explorations in oil on canvas, Hartley has applied his artistic bent to interpreting images from our orbiting “time machines,” deep-space telescopes. His portfolio of cosmic art interprets an inspirational, gigantic, magnificent universe, seemingly floating benignly in space belying the tumultuous alchemy of matter. Hartley then takes his original paintings and creates variations by applying secondary techniques and treatments in a variety of other media.

Jeffry Jensen - November 2011 featured artist

                                              A Child's Moon - photograph  24 x 18"

Biography:

Since 1991, I’ve been a member of the Pasadena Society of Artists. Over the years, my paintings, mixed media works, and digital photographs have been shown in many one-person and group shows, winning awards on several occasions. In addition, I’ve worked as a research editor, reference librarian, and college instructor. I’m also the author of several poetry chapbooks, nonfiction books, and many hundreds of essays and book reviews.

Artist statement:
As a self-taught artist, I approach every painting, mixed media work, and digital photograph with a sense of discovery. Through vivid abstract images and vibrant color combinations, I hope to shed light on how my subconscious mind translates the visible world around me.

Murphy Armitage - October 2011 featured Artist

Corry Drawing, 2011 4 x 5 B&W photo

Murphy Armitage: Artist Bio

Murphy is going to school for Graphic Design. He defines himself as a Screen Printer, Photographer and Graphic Artist. While awaiting admission results from Art Center College of Design and Cal Poly Pomona he has taken more interest in Photography. He prefers to shoot large format 4x5, but he also shoots a lot of 120mm, 35mm and digital formats. He has spent most of his time in photography shooting black and white, but has recently started shooting color film as he has learned to develop and enlarge color film. Murphy develops all his own film and enlarges them as well with the use of black and white or color photographic papers. Murphy would place his body of work mostly within the style of Photojournalism, but he is still testing the waters in all types of photography.

Victoria Hibbs - September Featured Artist

Artist’s Bio:

Pasadena, CA girl moves to NYC, stays thirty years. Teaches math and science really well, becomes tri-state area private tutor of choice. In the middle of all that re-discovers yearning to make art and discovers the Art Students League. Studies there for several years with Peter Cox, Bruce Dorfman, Richard Pousette-Dart, William Scharf and Fredrick Wong. Bit of a teacher’s pet sometimes, sometimes not. Earns some awards. Family ties pull her back west and she is back in Pasadena. Hopes you like the art.

Artist’s Statement:
Painting equals a safe place for me in a world where I have never felt safe, even in my own skin. Read anything, see any movie, play or TV show, listen to any lyric – almost every time there is the seeking of safety or security. A few people seek danger, heroes seem fearless and take risks, but most of us need a safe place.

Making a safe place for myself has always required the matching of mismatched edges: mine with those of the world. I find myself bonding together broken fragments, trying to make some sort of new stronger whole structure out of things that were never meant to fit each other.

I think this is why I feel compelled to make the work as I do.

David Grigsby - Featured Artist August 2011

Church Street, Lower Manhattan 2009
Acrylic on Canvas

David Grigsby explores the urban landscape in his paintings, many of which focus on the unique iconography of Southern California, where the artist has lived most of his life. He finds inspiration in the familiar, nondescript elements of the city and suburbs - the sidewalks and strip malls, traffic signs and billboards. When asked to describe his style of painting, Grigsby says he would call himself simply a 'realist', as opposed to a 'photorealist'. "Although my paintings are based on photographic references, I often alter the original source material considerably in order to arrive at a compositional arrangement that suits me. Maybe you could also call me a 'minimalist', because I'm always looking for ways to eliminate elements that are not essential to the overall composition."


A member of the Pasadena Society of Artists, Grigsby is a regular contributor to their group exhibitions and juried events, as well as other individual and group shows in the L.A. area. His paintings are owned by a number of corporate and private collectors worldwide.