Aarons, Kingsley

Orange County based multi-disciplinary artist, Kingsley, is a creative individual with an extensive graphic design and traditional paintingbackground. A progressive designer with a broad scope of styles who takes chances and breaks the rules with original results. Kingsley creates hand crafted artworks by merging several seemingly incompatible worlds into a new universe. He blurs the lines between digital and reality with rigid elegance.

His paintings bear strong brutalist architectural imagery influenced by his architect father. Other mediums include structural photography from world travels and digital glitched imagery influenced by too much screen time. Kingsley’s latest series is unique and visually stimulating by the use of technique and imagery. By questioning the concept of reality through digital mediums, Kingsley uses a visual vocabulary that addresses many different social and pop cultural issues. His work incorporates time as well as space – a fictional and experiential universe that only emerges pixel by pixel.

Abram, Kelly Craft

Kelly studied Commercial Art at Indiana University, Art, in all forms at UCLA plus many private classes with all forms of multimedia art over the years. She has sold works in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Dublin, Ireland, California, New York City, and Chicago.

Acosta-Galvan, Kayla

Kayla Acosta-Galvan is a visual designer, printmaker, and public planning/transportation enthusiast based in Southern California. Her work in digital design and block prints, examines people-centric places that feature ever-changing forms.

Adams Inez, Janet

Janet Inez Adams holds a MFA from CSU Fullerton in painting/printmaking, and a BFA from Hunter College of CUNY in Design. Janet’s work is a healing practice with images and symbols from dreams and meditation. Her work has been exhibited in many areas of the USA at museums, universities, and galleries, and has been collected for public and private display. She was chosen to create the FREEWAY ART PANELS in Orange County.

Agrusa, Francesca

Francesca Agrusa was born and raised in Italy where she received her Art degrees. After Francesca moved to the United States she participated for 5 years in the Art community of Emeryville (Bay Area) in collective art shows and annual exhibitions held by the city. Her work consists of photography and acrylic painting. Francesca tries to achieve a connection from the past through the present by layering colors with different subjects. Nature is always Francesca’s first inspiration.

 

 

 

 

Alcazar, Carlos

Photography has been a way to experience peace and to disconnect from the hustle and bustle. It’s a way to slow down and pay attention to the details and preserve the time in which the image was taken. Carlos, a Costa Mesa native, has traveled to several countries and has had the opportunity to photograph its sites and wildlife. He feels that each photograph is preserving history. Someday, a long time from now, someone will look at those photos and see things that might not exist anymore or see how they have changed. He feels blessed to have had the opportunity to photograph such spectacular subjects.

Anaya, Elena Laurinavicius

Argentine-born artist, Elena Laurinavicius Anaya, studied abstract painting techniques with her friend and mentor the late Pam Schader, an established painter, artist, and art educator from Costa Mesa.

Elena completed workshops with renown Bay Area abstract artist Nicholas Wilton, was part of his 12 weeks intense program CVP 2020/2021, and is a member of the online Art 2 Life Academy he created. She also participated in other workshops, studying abstractionism, with several artists such as Katherine Chang Liu, and Natasha Shoro, as well as representational painting with Street Artist and Educator Julie Kirk. Elena took drawing classes since an early age, and participated in several group lessons and art shows.

An extensive career in the airline industry, followed by a ten-year career in graphics, web design, and architectural renderings, has led Elena to her dream- to apply her creativity with colors and brushstrokes in this visual medium of Art. Her paintings are an expression of her inner states, perceptions, faded dreams, and imprints of her memories. Many of her works have been painted with layers of hidden messages to be discovered. She is a quiet soul but with a bold message. Elena finds inspiration in memories of her early years in Argentina, her love for nature, travel, photography, and the effect of changing light on the natural world.

Arakal de, Byron

Byron de Arakal has found a passion for landscapes, unique out-of-the-way places, architecture, people and cultures during the development of his photographic craft. While his work spans both black and white and color genres, his passion is for black and white photography. Byron approaches his photographic subjects with a philosophy that there is an image in every moment of life; that a camera and an always-attentive eye are the tools of art that allow us to capture, interpret and memorialize those fleeting instances in time that construct our lives…moments that would otherwise pass away unappreciated – and even perhaps unnoticed – for all time.

Baker, Marianna

Marianna is a designer and multimedia designer who has found happiness by reinventing herself as an artist. She enjoys working with mixed media, such as clay and fiber art and has participated in numerous local and national art shows.

 

Barajas, Amparo

In his photography, Amparo tries to capture reality. She aims to capture the moment without altering its essence. She believes that in storytelling by means of photography, one should strive to stay as close to reality as possible. It is why she is passionate about shooting portraits of people in their natural environments or the environment itself through landscape photography. It has been almost 17 years since Amparo took her first photography class. At the time, she had dreams of becoming a theater actress, but the moment she looked through the eye of the camera and heard the “click” as she pressed the shutter, she fell in love with the art of photography. From that moment on, she knew what she was meant to do in life and knew who she was meant to become—a photographer.

Barnes, Gina

Gina Barnes is an abstract painter living in Southern California. Over the years, Gina has directed her creative energy into a variety of passions including interior design, wood carving, sewing, quilting, and creating original holiday décor. She’s earned certificates of design from both University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and Interior Designers Institute (IDI) in Newport Beach, California. Born into a highly creative family, Gina always dreamed of becoming a professional artist. After her children were grown, she was able to direct her attention towards pursuing that goal. Gina’s current focus is on the use of acrylic and mixed media on canvas, as she feels this gives her the most freedom in expressing herself. As an intuitive painter, Gina finds inspiration in life’s ever unfolding events in the world as well as in her personal life. She is also inspired by the creativity of the many different artists she surrounds herself with. Gina’s artwork currently can be seen at Showcase Gallery in Costa Mesa as well as the Marriott. Her artwork also hangs in private collections throughout Southern California.

Beckemeyer, Zach

Zach Beckemeyer's main focus in life is to create, satisfy, and stay healthy. The most alluring things in life are his family, art, and music. When he was 9 years old, he joined the music program at his elementary school in Garden Grove, California. Zach chose the trumpet because it seemed to be the most simple, due to it only having three valves. It was very fun and he played it until 7th grade. When he was 10 years old, he also became interested in playing the drums, which he still plays today. In 2004, Zach started to play music with a couple of friends he made via the internet. The whole purpose was to create a band and play in a live setting. He was completely enthralled by the situation and never felt disabled. Each live performance required a poster to promote it, which was what originally interested him in graphic design. In 2011, Zach was diagnosed with epilepsy. He was unaware of how disabling the ailment really was until he realized that he was unable to work, play music, or complete many standard life arrangements. Seven years following his diagnosis, his neurologist and team located where his seizures were coming from. In 2018, Zach received a dual craniotomy to help eliminate seizures. The surgery was a success, yet he still has rare, weak, and short seizures. During 2021, he began to draw, completing at least one black and white picture every day. In June of 2021, Zach started including color to his designs via Adobe Illustrator, which opened his mind and completely settled a deteriorating mental state. Since June of 2021, he has created 144 illustrations and sold several to many different people throughout California. Zach's mental and physical health has improved profoundly from artwork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benedick, Gar

Gar grew up on a small farm in Pennsylvania. There he learned about hard work and the connection we all have with the land and mother earth. His love of the outdoors and nature prompted him to engage in an education in Landscape Architecture with a degree from Penn State University. From there he has worked in photography, design and media production for over 40 years. Gar was originally drawn to photography when he was very young using a Kodak Brownie. He fell in love with the notion of stopping time and taking another, closer look at everyday life.

After college, he used photography as a creative outlet starting strictly with black and white. Mostly self-taught, when he moved to Southern California in the mid 70’s, he studied photography under Arthur Taussig and John Upton at Orange Coast College. Not seeking a degree in photography, Gar was free to explore at his own pace, in his own way. 

He noticed he would focus on the things most people never see. “I am moved more by exploring the details of the obvious, then I am of the obvious itself.” After about 5 years of concentrating on black and white, Gar wanted a new challenge, Color! His move to Color was strictly about Color. He would seek the most color, saturated images to make color the subject of his photographs.

Even though Gar’s photography has always been a creative outlet, today, as an emerging artist, he is more interested in pure art from the camera, exploring other ways of seeing the world through a camera lens. “I am always looking for what the camera can do when I give it free rein with no expectations.”

 

Bloomfield, Jennifer

Water has served as the backbone of Jennifer's life passions from competitive swimming, water polo, outrigger canoeing, & bodysurfing. Additionally she enjoyed a 27-year career as an Newport Beach Ocean Lifeguard and Junior Guard instructor. About 2 years ago she committed to a new life chapter & got her feet wet again, painting and sharing her passion for the water, on canvas. More recently, she has had the great honor of painting murals around Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. All pieces are all inspired by her life experiences enjoying the water.

Blowers, Laurie

Laurie Blowers is a painter, illustrator, and printmaker. She has exhibited in galleries in Italy and California. She studied art at San Francisco State University and at the Accademia Di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy.

Bolotin, Regina

Artist, Regina Berengolts has strived for her whole life. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1961, this classically trained artist earned a degree from the famous Serov Art Academy, which took an incredible amount of time and hard work to attain. As a teenager, she won an exhibition place in the St. Petersburg National People's Museum, beating out thousands other children's entries. Coming from the city, which Peter the Great called "The Venice of the North" Regina attributes much of her artistic appreciation to the French and Italian architecture that surround the city. And by looking at her work, you can see how such masters as Chagall and Modigliani have influenced her whimsical style.

Bourquin, Kelly

As a photographer, and teacher, Kelly has learned how to tell stories. Every photograph she takes, tells a story of a thousand words or more. For Kelly, photography is a means to capture moments in nature that others may miss. Because the world is ever changing and people are always moving capturing that moment forever creates a unique experience for everyone that sees it even if they are on the other side of the world. Being in the moment as the shutter snaps brings more of the experience into the image. Since she discovered the ability to tell stories with an image captured through the lens, Kelly has been telling stories that inspire. As inspiration strikes, she captures it so that it can be shared with others like you. In the elementary school classroom Kelly found the world is more positive and beautiful. She says this is because it is seen more through the eyes of the children and less through the eyes of an adult. Like children who have no understanding of the future or worry of the past, she tries to capture stories that restore a little bit of our wonder and innocence lost.

Briseno, Victor

Victor Briseno was born in the city of Orange and has lived in Fullerton his whole life. He has been drawing since he was a kid and has always enjoyed art and creating stuff in general. Briseno went to Fullerton College where he took digital art classes. He also makes electronic music and received his certification in audio recording. Victor has been drawing since he was young. His art tends to have a more cartoon-like influence or is like the illustration one would find in children's books. Most of his art comes from a very light-hearted view of things and a search for joy in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brody, Pamela

Pamela began her art endeavors at an early age. She had private art lessons at age seven and was introduced to oil painting and handcrafts. At twelve, she worked in pastels, and at fifteen, discovered the paper art of Quilling, which she has continued with as her favorite craft. At fifteen, she was hired by Doodle Art to color in their huge intricate posters which were sold with color markers. Her finished work was used on the covers and interior of the sales brochures. Her original finished pieces which were owned by the company, were displayed at trade shows and fairs.In high school, Pamela took classes in ceramics, jewelry, and advanced placement classes in animation, ultimately teaching the class in her senior year, and received faculty recommendations for her enrollment at California State University Long Beach.As an art major at CSULB and Bachelor of Arts recipient, Pamela was the only one in her class to finish an animated cartoon complete with soundtrack, and her professor who worked at Disney studios, gave her a private tour of the studio in Burbank and submitted her portfolio for employment there. Unfortunately, Disney went computerized during that time and computers were replacing the artists who created the work by hand. Pamela found other outlets for her creativity even though it would not be her livelihood. She hand-painted store windows for the holidays for over twenty years, entered her quilling and holiday ornaments in the Orange County and LA County fairs, winning ribbons in 40 of 41 years, and sold her crafts at boutiques. Her quilled wedding invitations and graduation announcements are popular gifts. She was an exhibitor in the very first ARTventure in 2015, and several after, receiving Honorable Mention in 2019 for her pen and ink drawing.

Brouse, Ellie

Ellie Brouse is a self-taught visual artist currently majoring in communication studies at Orange Coast College. She was born and raised in a small town in Central Pennsylvania, spending the first 18 years of her life in the suburbs of Brookpark Farm. Upon graduating high school in June of 2021, she relocated to Southern California to pursue a career in the arts & entertainment industry. Much of her work incorporates bold colors and whimsical, dream-like settings that contrast with the surrounding modern world. Art allows her to “escape” from the constraints of reality and envision it in a brighter way, much like television and film. Ellie hopes to become more involved with local projects and collaborate alongside talented individuals in the SoCal area. 

Burger, Alice

Alice Burger is a third-generation artist. She has both her BFA and MFA degrees and has taught fine art for more than 9 years, including at the college level. Her work has been sold nationally, and she loves to hear feedback on her artwork.

Chee, Ronald

"Navajo" diné artist, Ronald Chee, is a painter and printmaker registered out of Fort Defiance, Arizona. Primarily self-taught, he uses acrylic painting, mixed media and monotype printmaking processes to share his native traditional and contemporary culture. His use of vibrant color is inspired by bygone times, as well as modern, political commentary that helps to deliver a powerful and insightful visual experience for his patrons. Mr. Chee lives in Costa Mesa with his family and sells his art online through native art markets, museum gift shops and art shows and exhibits throughout the Southwest.

Cooper, Dana

Dana Cooper grew up in Oregon and spent summers and many weekends at a family cabin. No TV, no phone and limited music except for a few remote radio stations that played "old people music." She filled her days by relishing in arts and crafts, saving salamanders and mice from death.

She moved to Los Angeles at age 18 to work in the entertainment business and made some mild success in soap operas, television and film. Dana returned to school and obtained her Masters degree in social work. After obtaining her degree working in psychiatric hospitals and in adoption with adults and children, art expression provided them with the unique ability to explore their feelings safely and with creative and communicate that which they could not describe in words. I wanted to continue to learn and explore this. She was able to obtain a certification in Art4healing through Brandon University. This process not only helped with her personal healing from significant early childhood trauma, she could also effectively help others facing similar challenges to help them gain insight to their own behaviors, thoughts and feelings and identify them through artistic expression and imagery.

Through her own exploration of art and various mediums beginning with visual art journals, designing and creating tumblers, cards where my paintings could be printed and shared, mixed media decorative box tops and she eventually graduated to canvas paintings. Soon after, people began contacting her and requesting commissioned paintings. As her healing grew, she continued holding Art4healing workshops in her studio or on location. She is able to create and sell her artwork and continue creating commissioned paintings as her focus.

Today, Dana lives a peaceful and fulfilling life, with her husband of 20 years. She has a beautiful art studio, her husband built, where she paints, creates and holds Art4Healing workshops and she works on developing her own art skills. She is blessed with loving and supportive friends and three dogs, all who are family to her.

Correa, Angel

Angel Correa is a poet, actor, and now painter, residing in Costa Mesa for most of his life. He is a current board member at the Costa Mesa Playhouse and has been very much involved in the community theatre scene around Orange County over the past two decades. Angel is in the process of getting his first collection of poetry, Materia Prima, published very soon, and the paintings submitted into ArtVenture are directly linked to a long poem in his collection. You can also hear his voice throughout many films and tv shows dubbed into English for various streaming devices like Netflix and Amazon.

 

Correa, Joshua

Joshua grew up in Placentia and attended Valencia High School, then studied art at Pratt, Pasadena Art Center, Laguna, SCAD, & CCAD. Inspired by Emigdio Vasquez’s murals at Tlaquepaque as a child, Josh went on to restore Manuel Hernandez-Trujillo’s Atwood mural in 2019 with local advocate Joe Parra and the Hernandez-Trujillo family. Josh is a minister and advocate in the City of Placentia and an active illustrator. Josh is currently working on a community project to promote North Orange County by painting 32 pieces in and around Placentia.

Court, August

August Court is an American artist born in Atlantic City, NJ, 1948. He’s now living and working in Huntington Beach, CA. His style is a form of abstract expressionism relying on stamping acrylic and oil paints onto large canvases using pieces of broken tile. Educated with a BA from CSU Long Beach, August is married to his husband of 37 years with 2 adult children.

Crone, Julie

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Garrett, Matt

Born and raised in Costa Mesa, 51 year old Matt Garrett graduated from Cal state Long Beach, with educational background in the arts and sciences Matt finally graduated with a degree in Philosophy 1998. Matt has a professional career in manufacturing and Matt spends his free time combining the love of art and innovation in the creation of the art panels using recycled plastic. Every panel is unique and of course home made, because it is made in his oven at 500 degrees. Matt looks forward to each panel because Matt has one intention and the oven has another intention it may turn out to be half baked or it may turn out to be a good surprise.

Ghalambor, Cyrus

Cyrus Ghalambor's art is inspired by music, which is in turn, inspired by old and new poetry. The subjects vary from love, to personal, social, and political struggle. Regardless of the topic, there is always the element of struggle, the unknown, and of course, the beautiful. Cyrus says he can’t draw. So instead he writes, and the letters in the script serve as a sort of design language for a whole series of work. Most of his projects are based on special scripts he's invented to help convey a particular song or poem.

Gillette, Jeffrey

Jeffrey has been creating and selling art since he graduated with his MFA from Cal State Fullerton. Recently he retired from teaching high school art in Tustin, California.

Ginocchio, Gwen

Gwen Ginocchio took up painting classes in watercolor and acrylic at the Costa Mesa Senior Center after retiring from a position as a Librarian in elementary school. Ginocchio enjoys being creative. She likes drawing and loves to paint. Costa Mesa and all of Orange County are inspirations to her!

Gregory, Kathleen

Kathleen is a passionate photographer that specializes in documentary and portrait photography. To expand her creativity, she loves to travel and photography the nature around her.

Groh, Charlie

Charlie Groh has been photographing subjects since flying helicopters in the Vietnam War (which is when he acquired his first single-lens reflex camera). Along the way he became a carpenter, then a cabinet maker and contractor. And he instructs high school kids how to march around on a football field...playing tuba on the side. He crafts his own frames, prints his prints and generally presents his work as total pieces.

Gutierrez, Frank

Frank Gutierrez grew up in the Imperial Valley, and he attended Coachella Valley High School. Before graduation, his family moved back to Mexico where he continued his education for three years. In Mexico, Frank had the opportunity of attending art school on the weekends. He then came back to the states and pursued a degree in business from USC. His passion for art would made him build a business that is close to art but could pay my bills (Mesa Art & Framing on 19th and Placentia). 2020 completes 25 years of being in business, being part of the Cultural Arts Committee for about 12 years (he was the Chairperson from 2008 -2016). Frank has gone full circle and looking for having more tome to paint and continue as an artist. 

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Herfjerf

Surrealist Artist

Born amid the creative energy of Berkeley, California, Herfjerf has always been intrigued by the enchanting realms of fantasy and dreams. His artistic journey commenced with an exploration of the mystical, queer culture, and the surreal, manifesting in paintings and sculptures that gave life to enigmatic, shape-shifting entities. These ethereal beings wove a delicate tapestry between the monstrous and the exquisite, serving as early harbingers of Herfjerf's ascent to the realm of surrealist luminaries. Herfjerf's artistry evokes profound introspection, encouraging audiences to question the boundaries of reality itself. To delve deeper into Herfjerf's surreal universe and keep pace with his latest works, visit his online gallery at herfjerf.com or follow his journey on Instagram @herfjerf.

Hester, Ashley

Ashley Violet Hester was born in Orange County, California in 1987. She is an emerging multi-disciplinary artist; working primarily in the traditions of interior design. She is a Costa Mesa native who enjoys supporting the local arts and community.

Hill, Teresa

Teresa Hill is a biracial female artist who was born and lived in Houston, Texas for 42 years before relocating to Southern California to pursue her degrees in art. She works in the canyon of Laguna Beach. Her paintings stem from her life experience as a biracial (White/ Mexican) woman who was born and raised, and still lives in the simulacrum of cis-heteropatriarchal, white American culture.

Hillary, Lauren

Lauren loves this life of capturing the raw human moments that connect us to love, art, family, and adventure. It is a real gift to wake up and do what she loves every day. As a true photographic artist, Lauren is obsessed with light, shadow, and emotion. Her goal is to always capture the realness of the moment and the truth of her subject.

In addition to being a featured photographer on Adobe’s website, Laurens work has been published worldwide, been seen on billboards and has graced the pages of Muscle and Fitness Magazine, Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style, The Brain Warriors Way Cookbook by Tana Amen, Susie Coelho’s book “Style Your Dream Wedding”, Riviera Magazine, Modern Luxury Magazine, Coast Magazine, Ceremony Magazine, Inside Weddings, The Bride and Bloom, Modern Bride, Brides Southern California, Brides New Jersey, The Knot Weddings Southern California and Texas, Studio Photography and Design and Greersoc.com.

Hogue, Bob

Art found Bob Hogue selling his business after 35 years. His only art experience was the graphic design work he did for sales and marketing purposes. He always had a passion for the arts but didn’t know that painting would become his new pathway in life. It all started while on vacation at a resort. They offered an acrylic art class and he took the class and the rest is history. After teaching himself through art books and videos, he was juried in at the Orange County Fine Arts Gallery in 2018. To his surprise he took first place in Acrylics at his first show. Thanks to OCFA for opening the door to an exciting adventure that continues today.

Honma, Linda

After a nearly 25-year hiatus from painting, working as an oncology pharmacist and raising her family, Linda recently “wet her brushes”again. Through gentle encouragement from her good friend and fellow art enthusiast, Kathy Fujita, and inspiring guidance from local OC artists, Marlene Gerloff and Chris Sullivan, Linda has rekindled her passion for watercolor and mixed media. For many years, Linda also taught elementary school kids art through a volunteer program called Art Masters.