DREAM STATES
Alitha Young
Painting is enthralling, exciting, and challenging. I love the vibrancy and richness of color and also the interplay of colors, combined with patterns, shapes and lines. Painting allows me to capture and express my feelings about the beauty and mystery of the world and the incredible colors and patterns that surround us.
My process involves building up many layers to create a heavily textured surface. I sometimes begin the process with a layer of modeling paste on primed canvas and then build up with progressive layers of paint, and papers, fabric, or other objects. I always start with a concept or design and then work intuitively from there, so that the painting takes its own natural course to completion.
On exhibit until JUL 28
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
SPHERES
Acrylic, Graphite works by Suzanne Gooch
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
Spheres are my favorite things to draw. To render a soft looking, precisely round, three dimensional form on a two dimensional surface is both challenging and rewarding.
The series began as an experiment. I wanted to test a fixative that would prevent my drawing from smearing when painting around it. I grabbed a small canvas and drew a heavily shaded sphere with charcoal and chalk, sprayed it and put it aside. When I walked in the next day, the simplicity, strength and weight of the image inspired me to do more. I created eight more canvases just like it. As the compositions became larger and paint replaced charcoal and chalk, the crusty texture became reminiscent of a childhood memory, dragging my finger tips along our neighbor’s cinder block wall – gray, dry and raspy.
One day while sipping a cup of tea outside my studio, a passer by asked to enter and have a look. She gazed upon a large diptych for quite awhile. She emerged with a thoughtful smile upon her face and said “powerful and poetic”. Works for me!" ~ S. Gooch
On exhibt through APR 27, 2010
Nature inspired abstractions now on exhibit at NOVA
EBB & FLOW
Paintings by David Regan
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
"Having spent most of my life in an urban to sub-urban environment I have a deep appreciation of nature and it is at the core of my inspiration as a painter. Throughout the bodies of work that I have developed there is a consistency in trying to capture that ineffable, emotional response one has while feeling connected to his or her natural environment. This connection, I feel, cannot be captured through realistic interpretation but rather through emulating the cycles, struggles, and harmonious conflicts ever present in the natural world through paint and composition. ?
In my series 'Leaves' the process for these paintings uses a single found leaf as the starting point for each. During this process I became interested in the natural structure of the leaf and equally natural breakdown of that structure over time; the most beautiful point in the cycle being its end. I saw the leaf as symbolic of the constant ebb and flow of life. I strove to extend this perception onto the surface of the painting to create a symbolic logic and balance with the paint surface that was simultaneously growing and breaking down.???
The 'Water' series in an attempt to capture what I find so intriguing, powerful and beautiful about water, particularly waterfalls or water in motion. What interests me about these paintings is how my interpretation of these natural settings has been influenced by my urban, pixilated, vector modeled world. I see them as an exploration of both organic and geometric understanding of space and form.?"
David Regan
On exhibt through JAN 27, 2010
INTUITIVE JOURNEYS
expressions of joyful existence
Acrylic on canvas works by Kazuyo Sato-Leue
JULY 29 - OCT 28, 2009
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
“Painting is my adventure. There is no map and no turning back. I only go forward. I walk, jump, dance, tiptoe, run and fly. My intuition is my light, a very fleeting light that I hold my breath and squint to see. Sometimes there are symbols or patterns in my paintings. They are not clues or mysteries meant for analysis in isolation, any more than a person’s ears or singing voice or food preferences give you a complete sense of their self. Neither are they without cause. Sometimes seeming obvious, sometimes mysterious, always open to interpretation, and nonetheless enchanting and sensible before any interpretation occurs.
Painting is not an escape from life, or an occupation, or a calling, it is life. Though my process of painting is always challenging and happens even when I am sad or angry my paintings are cheerful and optimistic. My discipline lies in not using painting as an outlet for my thoughts or emotions. So my paintings are unburdened and free to express the simple joy of their existence.” – Kazuyo Sato-Leue
DEFINING CHAOS - Attempting to harness visual energy
Oil on canvas works by Kathryn Arnold
APRIL 29 - JULY 29, 2009
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
“These paintings explore the nature of defining chaos by juxtaposing expressive mark making with the ordered constraint of a see-through grid. I see this as similar to words giving definition to experience. The grid in these works serves as a device for creating boundaries that enables the containment of visual energy which is activated through the use of color.” – Kathryn Arnold
Kathryn has shown her work on a national scale, from New York City to Hawaii, Los Angeles, Chicago, Kansas City and St Louis in commercial galleries, university galleries, and non-profit community art spaces. Notably, she is a NEA Regional Fellowship recipient amongst other fellowships, grants and awards she has received. She has been written about by Alan Artner, Chicago Tribune and Raphael Rubenstein of Art in America and her work has appeared in the New York Times. Her work is included in numerous public and private collections.
image: 'I Need I Want' 66 x 48 Oil on Canvas 2008
EXPANDING IN HER FIELD
New flora paintings by Jeanine Christman
JANUARY 28 – APRIL 28, 2009
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
“I translate my exerience of nature… the life that is felt in the mystery of the moment into my art creations. Moved by passion to convey this experience continues to drive me. Getting closer each time is a reward ... and it is in this "trying" that true talent and creativity deepen. Sharing this talent becomes the gift to my clients ... and to myself.“ – J. Christman
WORLD TRAVELER AT HOME IN CULTURAL CROSSROADS
- mixed media paintings by Asha Menghrajani
OCTOBER 30 - JANUARY 28, 2009
555 Second St (x. Brannan) SF, CA
hours: M - F 11:30 - 2p; M - Sat 4p - 2a
Asha grew up in the Philippines and traveled extensively before choosing the United States as her home in 1992. She has extensive training in charcoal drawing, oil, chinese watercolor painting and fabric design. She fuses all her knowledge together into a rich mixed media process.
In her paintings, Asha presents chaos as the perfection that it is, allowing for complete surrender. Her painting transports you from reality to a vibrant, mystical and abstract world, where you are the story teller, creating and interpreting your own stories.
"My process in painting is one which is more meditative and intuitive. I experience calmness, peacefulness and solitude. I believe that making art feels good and brings pleasure to others. Looseness and uncertainty, above all, are important to my interpretation of the mysterious energy of the spirit."
Image: 'Oriental Summer' Mixed Media, Acrylic on Canvas 58" x 56" 2007
FROM THE WATER: Paintings from the Fish to Land series - paintings by David Rose
JULY 30 - OCTOBER 29, 2009
venue: Nova
555 Second Street (x. Brannan) SF
hours: 11:30a - 3p, 5p - late M - F bar only 3 - 5
This body of work has led itself from stripe studies to a
more retrospective abstraction, which merges geometry and
free flowing marks. His concern and direction has always
moved towards the lines and forms of Diebenkorn and Klee
but beneath that, there is always the search for an elusive
deep seated spiritual root.
Image: Surface Current, Acrylic on Canvas, 60" x 48"
