Art @ ONT

Artist Biography:

After retiring from a 35-year career as a nurse and geriatric nurse practitioner, Terry Flanigan began painting full time. She works primarily with acrylics though recently expanded her palette to include watercolors. Her subject matter is varied and includes architecture and landscapes, though she has discovered that her true passion lies with painting living beings – animals and plants. Pet portraits are her absolute favorite.

Artist Statement:

I create acrylic paintings on canvas for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. I strive to improve my technical skills as a painter. Art has been used historically and in the present for healing. Scientific studies have shown that creating and viewing art helps reduce stress. I hope my paintings have put a smile on your face.

Artist Biography:

Jack Flanigan won his first drawing contest at age 5. Because he suffered from dyslexia, academic learning was hard; painting and creativity were his escape. A sympathetic teacher asked him to create her bulletin boards. She gave him tools and an opaque projector to work with, building confidence and self-esteem. It also helped him see the joy and happiness his work brings to others. He hopes that those who admire his art will take away the wonder and elation of light and space that he plays with as he paints.

Artist Statement:

I create acrylic paintings that capture primarily desert landscapes and structural subject matter through expressive brush strokes and exceptional color. I use acrylic, water-soluable paints, brushes of varying sizes, and canvases of varying sizes. I enjoy painting plein air as well as less restrictive, more imaginative studio painting. I am inspired by architecture, landscape and flora of the Coachella Valley. I use fast brush strokes, an impressionist narrative, and draw on my observations and experiences to create my paintings. I often paint at La Quinta Resort because it exemplifies Southern California’s landscape and architecture. Recent works have more intense brightness and color due to the saturation of light in the desert.

Artist Biography:

Robyn MacNair is an arts educator, administrator, advocate and champion working in a large urban school district in California. During her career, she has supported and created opportunities for children, young adults and educators, enabling them to pursue creative interests, passions and aptitudes. Her most recent work reflects her internal grappling with how she views what she has always known. She seeks new narratives while embracing ambiguity and curiosity. Her intent is to invite the viewer to reimagine what is on the surface as worn, past usefulness, or destined to stay frozen in time and a second act.

Artist Statement:

I use creative play, investigation and expression as a critical life force for my own well-being. Encaustic painting is a perfect medium to manifest the multiple layers and complexities associated with letting go, resilience and good fortune. My work is infused with layers, rewarding those willing to look more deeply and discover surprises in the nuances of my work. I am inspired by travel, artistic experiences as well as all types of artists and art forms. I continue to study, learn and hone my craft in studio practice.

Artist Biography:

Clarine Commins was born in Brooklyn, NY, raised on Long Island and in Los Angeles and now lives in Palm Springs. Fiber arts were a strong presence in her childhood home – her mother taught her to knit and to appreciate the functionality, versatility and beauty of fibers. Her father, an architect, instilled in her the importance of shape and form. Both taught her to be rebellious and curious, themes that are ever-present in her work. After retiring from a long career as a designer/manufacturer of women’s accessories and clothing, Clarine dedicated her time to exploring and furthering her artistic voice. Her knitting evolved into sustainable and functional art vessels and her felting techniques expanded to include wet felting, fulling and dry felting.

Artist Statement:

My textural pieces represent today’s fascination with color and the desire to challenge traditional rules of form and function. My art includes elements of contrasting vibrant colored fibers, purposefully applied to evoke movement and vibration. My pieces are meant to evoke an emotional response in the viewer. I use different felt-making techniques to create malleable pieces of sustainable wool fabric that I shape into colorful, durable, sculptural 3-D wall hangings.

Artist Biography:

Mark has been painting and drawing since his youth. He studied art at Chaffey College (AA degree) and the University of California Riverside. He is a member of Associated Artists of the Inland Empire, Pomona Valley Art Association, Chaffey Community Museum of Art and Riverside Art Museum. He has won numerous awards for his art. Since retiring, he has actively pursued his interest in art, exhibiting at museums, galleries and local art exhibition.

Artist Statement:

Art is a predominant influence in my life and the creative process is inherent in me. I enjoy painting in watercolor, acrylic, oil and mixed media. My subject matter includes landscapes, architecture, figure studies, still life and abstract expressionism.

Artist Biography:

I made my first pot in 1964 when I gathered clay from a puddle after a thunder shower in Mesa Verde National Park. I fired it in an evening campfire shared with graduate students in archaeology working as ranger/archeologists. I did not stick with anthropology, but switched to a career as a psychotherapist. I continued to pursue ceramics as an avocation. Following retirement in 2007, he made ceramics a major undertaking of my retirement years. In 2018 I became a resident artist at AMOCA (American Museum of Ceramic Art).

Artist Statement:

These pots represent the range across which I work. I have two basic styles: one influenced by my background in archeology (a friend’s comment was “It looks ancient, but you know it isn’t”) and one more eclectic. The strongest influence on my eclectic style is my self-identification as a colorist and my background in psychology. On the Rorschach test, color reflects emotion – an idea I use in my most dramatically-colored works. Color is not easy to manage. The kiln does its own thing. Sometimes the flames yield wonderful results; other times they spoil the form.

Artist Biography:

Pamela Fall is a photographer and artist, fascinated by man’s expression through art, culture and architecture. She combines her love for Italy, art and photography by taking images to a new level – painting photographs with watercolors. She paints the entire image (including details), enhancing the three-dimensional quality of each photograph. The resulting high-definition texture creates a wonderful new perspective. Her art is in collections around the world; was featured on the Discovery Channel; and Italian art festivals. She also shows her work at the Laguna Art-A-Fair Festival.

Artist Statement:

After several visits to the country to see Italian friends, I fell in love with the history, culture, art and architecture of Italy. By combining my love for art and photography, I have chosen to take my images to a new level. Photographs are printed on high quality watercolor paper, then meticulously painted by hand with watercolors applied directly onto the entire image. The color placement enhances the three-dimensional quality of each photograph, resulting in color and texture that create a dimensional quality. Each “painting” is an original, one-of-a-kind work of art.

Artist Biography:

1950s rural North Dakota may not seem like an ideal environment for a “different” sort of child, but for Gorman, it fostered a sensitive awareness of the potential and needs within himself and others. That played well into his life career as an educator, and later, as an artist. Gorman lives with his husband in Claremont, California and exhibits locally in several venues. Artist Gorman Bentley with his exhibit in Terminal 2. Gorman took advantage of the new ONT+ program to view his exhibit.

Artist Statement:

I am an “intuitive” artist. As a child, I spent countless hours staring into the vast Dakota prairies, carefully noting the subtle colors, textures and forms of each season. The memory of those elements is now infused into my work on canvas. I am not typically interested in painting what has already been seen or what words alone can express. Each work begins with one selected color and evolves from the first brush stroke to when the work says it is finished. I invite you to enter the enormous and desolate world my young mind once imagined and use what is painted on the canvas to make your own unique discoveries of self.

Artist Biography:

Ichen Le is a self-taught alcohol ink emerging artist who began her artistic journey in 2021. As a very young child, she was once deeply in love with making art. Growing up in the academically competitive and results-driven culture in Taipei, Taiwan, she unconsciously denied her artist soul. In 2020 she had a transformative turn of life, started walking the inner path, and connected to her spirituality through meditation and Jungian analysis. After being a financial advisor for 17 years, Ichen finally worked up enough courage to call herself an artist in 2021. For her, art is the reclaiming of her original essence. It’s hanging out and having fun with her inner child.

Artist Statement:

I create images that come to me through intuition and dreams. The fluidity and highly intuitive process of alcohol ink is what mesmerizes me so deeply. Through the flow of the liquid ink, pushed by air or pulled by gravity, the creative process is especially freeing. Each piece is a unique existence that cannot be duplicated. The process of making alcohol ink art is a constant reminder of my favorite quote:
"You’re afraid to surrender because you don’t want to lose control. But you never had control; all you had was anxiety."
 - Elizabeth Gilbert

Artist Biography:

Ingrid Tegnér was born in Southern California and spent most of her childhood years on Air Force bases. Sonic booms dominated the sound landscape of her childhood. She traveled, lived in Sweden, then the Washington DC area, her home for many years. Her return to California was prompted by a need to be closed to her aging parents. A former social worker with a lifelong passion for art, she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2019. For Ingrid, making art is a means of spiritual development and soul expression. Her process includes deep reflection and meditation.

Artist Statement:

As a resident of Riverside, California, I sense the vibrations of sonic booms and earthquakes regularly. When I was researching the San Andreas fault, I was fascinated by the visual imagery of a simulated earthquake. I have created those visual patterns with suminagashi, a Japanese paper marbling technique. Literally, the word means “ink floating.” The suminagashi layers are placed under layers of wax, like the seismic activity we sense underground. I made the marks on top of the wax using a stencil I created with vintage player piano rolls – music from the past, from another time of great social inequity: 1929.

Artist Biography:

Being born and raised in Southern California, the diversity of its topography and culture have provided fertile breeding ground for my imagination and inspiration for creating digital fine art. I create sometimes for a living, and sometimes for fun, yet always as a passion. What inspires me? Anything and everything. I don’t represent a single theme. My work is the visual fruit of my varied and random interests. I follow no formalities. No vetting process is more important than my own. That’s the beauty of creating fine art when compared to my career in commercial design. There’s no single way to represent beauty provided it’s done with conviction.

Artist Statement:

Victoria Johnson, known as The Sketchie Beast, is a career designer and illustrator, now emerging as a digital fine artist. She entered her first painting in a public competition at seven years of age, and then began indulging her passion for art. Since her first fine art showing at the prestigious Art-a-Fair in Laguna Beach three years ago, she has participated in many local exhibitions including the Ontario Festival of the Arts and has been juried into exhibitions, both physical and online, throughout the nation.

Artist Biography:

Terry’s art combines her love for the Afghan hound and the great outdoors. She is noted for her dog show scenes, her sculpture and her palette knife work when painting in plein air. Traveling the world to judge the Afghan hound has given her the opportunity to paint the landscape in many countries. A favorite place to paint is the Inland Empire where there is such diversity between winter, summer, spring and fall. Palm trees and snow-covered mountains is a particular favorite.

Artist Statement:

Terry Chacon is a sculptor (bronze and ceramic) and an oil painter (studio and plein air). She has received awards in national and international competitions, and her work is in over 25 countries. She has bred Afghan hounds for over 40 years, and uses their antics, elegance and ancient history in both sculpture and paintings. She has had two solo exhibits at the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in St. Loius, and her plein air work can be seen at the Catalina Art Gallery on Catalina Island. Her studio in Redlands is open by appointment and for her annual studio tour in December.

Artist Biography: Britney Lu was born in Arcadia, California. She currently is a senior at the Webb Schools of California in Claremont. Her first experience as an artist was in elementary school, preparing for an art showcase where she was taught how to work with clay. Her mom, who was an art teacher, was her primary influence, helping Britney improve her clay pieces. When Britney recognized her ability to create life-like pieces of art by hand, she began self-study and learned slowly through trial and error. Britney wants to bring forth joy to her audience and show the world her creative dedication.

Artist Statement: I created these art pieces during COVID. They are all inspirational, to bring forth hope and comfort during the harsh times of the pandemic. They have a warm tone to convey a feeling of happiness, and I have used many elements of spring, my favorite season of the year. My primary medium for art is clay. All my pieces include clay, whether as flowers or other things. My art pieces all represent a new cycle of life, a new birth, a new ray of hope in the world.

Artist Biography: Cj Jilek is a studio artist and educator who has worked in the ceramic field for over 25 years. A faculty member at California State University San Bernardino, Chaffey College and Mt. San Antonio College, she holds an MFA from Utah State University. Besides an extensive exhibition record, Cj has taught ceramic workshops in Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and throughout the United States. Her ceramics career has transformed from wood fire utilitarian wares to mid-range biomorphic sculpture. The natural environment of plants, insects and creatures inspires Cj and informs her uniquely animated sculptures and signature surfaces.

Artist Statement: Inspired by the sensuality of the natural world, I use botanical forms as metaphors for human sexuality. Eliminating the presence of stems and leaves removes the physical context of the plants, allowing the view to focus on the form specifically in terms of its sexuality. The forms of the stamens and pistils create a visual language, making direct correlations between the botanical forms and the human body. These biomorphic forms are designed to lead the viewer to a subconscious association between nature and the human instinct of attraction. Through my work, I am questioning ideas of beauty, adaptation and desire.

Artist Biography: Darrel McPherson has painted over 1000 works of art in the last 30 years. He works in oils on canvas, painting from daily scenes of nature and beautiful forms from life. He has exhibited locally at galleries and exhibitions in Escondido, Carlsbad, Solana Beach and San Diego, and nationally in Memphis, Kansas and Arizona.

Artist Statement: I consider the California School to be my school of influence, with touches of the French School. My artist influences are Edgar Payne, Maurice Braun (San Diego), Pissarro, Gauguin and Monet. My work has continued to evolve over the years. I want my art to be seen as ever-changing and human in scale.

Artist Biography: Native California artist Kate Joiner uses instinctive loose brushwork and color palette as a representation of her surroundings. She received a BFA in multimedia from San Diego State University. An award-winning artist, her work has been shown at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park and the Oceanside Museum of Art.

Artist Statement: I make art from what is around me physically and mentally, past and present. The unmitigated range of my work is a statement of me, my observations, broken down into sections of my personality, and depicted in series, connecting these varied interests in my art to coexist. As a native Californian, I am concerned with the development/destruction of our coastal community.

Using unobstructed nature as a base point, I add figures, objects and architectural lines which manifest in my work. Whether in structured or intuitive work, composition and color are very important and my final objective is achieved when the piece can be viewed in different directions.  My work feels complete when the balance of loose paint application and reinforcing lines create a synergy that is contrasting but also harmonious.

“As a painter and multimedia artist, I often explore how the human persona connects with our California landscape, considering its development and destruction along the way. I am equally happy working on small works or large-scale, as long as a message and intrigue can be conveyed within each one.”

Artist Biography: Natasha Patel is a self-taught abstract artist. Growing up, she was fascinated by the energetic expressionism of Jackson Pollock and the underlying feminism portrayed by the flowers of Georgia O’Keefe. In her recent works, she has been heavily influenced by the patterns and structures found in nature. She is currently working to combine these into one cohesive abstract style playing on all influences.

Artist Statement: By blending abstract expressionism with science, I make contemporary paintings with bold colors and patterns that create a visual and sensory experience. I let science and gravity be my guiding force while creating. By layering fluid acrylics with inks, spray paints and glass paints, the different opacities and viscosities of the media interact, creating specialized effects and texture. Gravity takes over when I tilt the wet paints over the surface of the canvas, and the media stretches out to make abstract shapes and lines. The results are often reminiscent of mountains, skies, water caustics (patterns of light) or animal print (the fur or skin of animals), depending on what is inspired at the time of creation.

Artist Biography: In the 1990s, Quincey Grace created wildly-painted pieces of furniture that she sold in New York City; San Antonio, Texas; Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona; and Laguna Beach and Malibu, California. In 2020, she switched to ceramic sculpture, which she has exhibited extensively in local venues.

Artist Statement: I love bright colors, fabric textures, glass beads, flowers, butterflies, lace, geometric patterns, fanciful headdresses and pops of the unexpected – like a fish inexplicably perched atop a human head. I enjoy weaving all these elements into my pieces.

My sculptures are often inspired by paintings and photos of other artists. Through my sculptures, I invite the portraits to step out of their canvases into the 3D world, and become our friends. Come meet my friends!

Artist Biography: Howard L. Smith was born and raised in Windsor, Connecticut and migrated to California in 1974. He began making photographs at age of 12 and continued while a music major at the Hartford Conservatory of Music, making photographs with the same zeal and intensity as his music.

His interpretation of a scene or subject startles the viewer into seeing the details and creates a mood that stirs the viewer's inner being. When photographing wildlife in a natural habitat, they seem to perform for him and, water, clouds, sunlight and shadows seem to dance for his lens.

Howard's work has been widely exhibited nationally and internationally, and he has stock images with National Geographic Magazine. He is a founding member of the Inland Empire Photo Club (IEPC).

Artist Statement: As a former musician I believe that being able to play multiple musical styles is an asset. This attitude carries over to my photography. Because I create images in different genres, it may not always be a specific subject that excites me, but more the idea of capturing a moment in time whether a landscape, portrait or, wildlife. For me, it's seeing an unusual subject, beautiful light or a beautiful scene, and having the ability to freeze that moment in time.

Artist Biography: Grey Matter is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, illustrator and muralist whose works range from traditional illustration, graffiti and street art to graphic design, motion design and 3D printing. While growing up in Southern California during the 1990s, graffiti took hold and became an outlet beyond mere rebellion. It inspired the decades of creativity that followed. Today inspiration comes from his love of comic books, science fiction, nature, anthropology and the rapid advancement of technology.

Artist Statement: I blend methods learned from years of doing graffiti with traditional illustration techniques to explore humanity, nature, technology and how they interact with each other. To achieve this, I layer spray paint, acrylic and ink into composites of cartoonish imagery and incorporate stripped-down elements of comics, science fiction, fantasy and pop culture. I take a similar approach of layering with my digital work. It’s my way of trying to find the meaning of life and existence in the universe – answering the big questions by drawing and painting what’s in my head.

Artist Biography:

Chad La Fever is a metal sculptor whose medium of choice is silicon bronze, either cast or sculpted directly from bronze sheet. He also works in a variety of metals including mild steel, stainless steel and weathering steels such as Cor-Ten. Chad developed his skills during a 7-year tenure at an art bronze foundry fabricating bronze sculptures for many well-known artists. His professional skills include mold making, wax work, casting, finishing and patina. His work ranges from small, highly-detailed sculptures to monumental public art – his true passion. His public art includes two temporary public art pieces in Redlands, California and St. Charles, Illinois as well as multiple permanent monumental sculptures located in Columbia, Missouri, Jefferson City, Missouri, Roseville, California and Batavia, Illinois.

Artist Statement:

I am most drawn to sculptural forms that combine organic elements with human culture and experience to invoke thought and emotion. Much of my work is abstract sculptural representation on the theme of technology and social media which has drastically changed our society, and how we as members of a community interact with each other. The alter ego to this body of work are forms inspired by our natural environment that represent feeling, emotion or experience while outdoors, unencumbered by daily stresses. 

Artist Biography:

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Nancy Sakurai moved with her family to Orange County, California at a young age. She inherited a family of artist, performing arts and health care professionals. She has won local art contests in Anaheim and Laguna Beach. Her paintings depict personal experiences in oil, watercolor and acrylic. With canvas, paint brush and brilliant colors, Nancy captures a mood and breathes life into an image. Nancy is a member of the Chaffey Community Museum of Art and an art illustrator for Guardian’s Gate Games. She participates in local art exhibitions and is the 2016 recipient of the State of California’s Woman of the Year award for the 53rd Assembly District.

Artist Statement:

My artwork is a consideration of various places I have discovered in this world we live in. My work has taken different forms and expressions, but always triggers a meaningful and captivating appearance of what my feelings convey to the onlooker. Clear and precise; tedious strokes continue to seize attention. My inspiration from brush to paper is unspoken smiles on onlookers faces. I attempt to create action speaking within the beauty and calmness of a subject. Bright color splash emotions of enthusiasm and the eagerness of the moment capturing a mood and breathe life into the image.

Nancy is a member of the Chaffey Community Museum of Art and an art illustrator for Guardian’s Gate Games. She participates in local art exhibitions and is the 2016 recipient of the State of California’s Woman of the Year award for the 53rd Assembly District.

Artist Biography:

Frank Perez has over 20 years of experience working as a commercial photographer with private clients, corporations and various newspapers and magazines in the Inland Empire. After completing his MFA at California State University San Bernardino, Frank began teaching and helping college-level students and middle school students as an artist in residence. Frank’s work has developed to capture not just the technical components of photography, but the intention and emotion that art encompasses.

Artist Statement:

I work to create a phenomenological window by combining my photography, written observations, poetry and life experiences. This practice invites a dialogue between the me, the myself and the I in an introspective journey requiring a moment of openness not just by me, the creator, but also by the viewer. By creating these works, I invite the viewer into my personal space to observe the intimacy of my thoughts and inner monologue in direct contrast to the contemporary means of personal interactions, information gathering and sharing.

Artist Biography:

Nancy Reyes entered the 2022 Los Angeles County Fair Home Arts Competition and placed third for her hand-sewn art dolls. She upcycled different articles of clothing, a pillow, and jewelry to create her version of the great Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Nancy’s art dolls were part of the Pomona Valley Art Association’s Monthly October 2023 Show: Dreams and Nightmares. Follow @NancysHouseofDolls on Instagram to keep up with her latest creations.

Artist Statement:

My love for art began in kindergarten when I used my hands to create something for the very first time – it felt like magic! Creating art brings me peace. When my art makes someone smile and think of a fond memory, that brings me joy. This piece is my interpretation of the wedding of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera painted by Frida Kahlo in 1931.

Artist Biography:

Ronald Wolff has lived since 1995 in the Inland Empire, where he served for sixteen years as President/CEO of a large nonprofit organization providing assistance to adults with developmental disabilities. Now retired, he pursues writing and photography as primary hobbies. His short stories have appeared in several literary journals. His photographs have been published in nationally distributed journals and exhibited both locally at the Chaffey Community Museum of Art and around the country in juried shows.

Artist Statement:

My photography encompasses an expansive palette of natural beauty, abstract art, and portraits of the human soul. I attempt to capture a complex world replete with elegance, sadness, wonderment, strength, vulnerability, tenderness, failure to achieve the apex of potential human experience, and, occasionally, comic relief. In this set of images, I display the gorgeous yet elusive California Poppy, a flower that loves the sun but frequently hides its artistic soul when illuminated directly. All photos were taken in southern California – mostly Claremont. 

Artist Biography:

Sonia Sleeger is a self-taught abstract artist who resides locally in Norco. She works mainly with acrylics, alcohol inks and different media to create a unique style of contemporary art on canvas.

She found her creative side while caring for a relative suffering from dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Art was her personal therapy for coping with being a caregiver. She finds such joy in painting, from the initial thought process and inspiration, to the first moment she puts paint on to canvas. She often asks herself, “Where will this painting take me?” Sonia participates in art festivals in Ontario and Claremont.

Artist Statement:

Because I paint with oil, acrylic, watercolor and oil pastel, I consider myself a multi-disciplinary artist. My favorite style of creating is abstract art. I enjoy using bold colors in my artwork, and creating new colors by mixing different colors. Being able to create something from a single thought is a glorious thing! I enjoy taking workshops from established artists, reading about different techniques, and viewing art in person at local galleries and museums.

Artist Biography

Despite her deep passion for art and international success in painting, Arzu Castel Can was forced to pursue a career in the opposite direction. Ultimately family pressure could not stop her from secretly pursuing an education in interior architecture during college and taking many painting classes after graduating.

Artist Statement

During the pandemic, Arzu finally had the opportunity and time to become more deeply engaged in her artistic pursuits. She exhibited her art at the Claremont and Pomona Art Walks in several galleries, as well as the Fullerton Art Town exhibition hosted by the Fullerton Museum. In April 2023, Arzu curated the You Are Not Alone art exhibition, a fundraising event at the Ginger Elliott Gallery in Claremont to help victims of the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria.

My artwork explores the myriad women residing within me. I hold a firm belief that life is a continual self-creation, and I find myself actively engaged in this journey of self-reinvention. My aim isn’t to attain perfection; instead, I derive great pleasure from embracing the voyage itself. Within my paintings, you’ll encounter a fusion of abstract and figurative elements, accompanied by various drawing styles. I relish the opportunity to experiment with diverse techniques and mediums while challenging the idealized concept of the “perfect woman” ingrained in our collective consciousness.

Artist Biography

Angela Koenig is an award-winning artist who is recognized for a variety of mediums and genres. Her spontaneous assembly of color and texture propels her bold and distinct style. She has been featured in KOI USA magazine, News Net’s Southern California Lifestyle Show, KFON TV and California magazines including the Art Patron. Angela is active in the regional art scene as a teacher, juror, demonstrating and workshop artist and as a facilitator for many art groups and organizations. Her work has been included in numerous invitational and solo exhibits. Angela uses a variety of artistic mediums – oil, watercolor, acrylic, encaustic, pastel, printmaking, mixed media and Chinese Brush.

Artist Statement

This collection is entitled Nature Walk and was inspired by the changes of the seasons, the splendor of the great outdoors and the reflections of a calm and serene moment in time. I hope you can imagine yourself on a walk through the woods or areas of water and that you feel the quiet moments of nature in their glorious beauty.

Artist Biography

Jen Shakti has been painting and making art her whole life. She was raised in an artistic family spanning four generations. Her formal education includes two years at the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Laguna College of Art and Design where she received her BFA in 1995. Jen creates at her home studio in Yucca Valley, Ca. with views of an ancient forest of iconic Joshua trees from her windows.

Artist Statement

Nature is my spiritual path – I consider myself a “back-yard biologist”. I paint the unusual and fantastic details of plants and the habits of animals that I encounter. My paintings showcase the treasures of the earth by bringing the viewer into my mystical, playful and humorous experiences with nature. I share the feeling of support and rejuvenation I get from the earth that is available to everyone. I paint in acrylic but I enjoy working with a variety of materials and techniques to express a multitude of ideas. The hallmarks of my style are realism, mystical symbolism, and botanical detail and sharing my love of the natural world. I use bright color, movement, juxtaposition of size, scale and humor to uplift the spirit.

Artist Biography

Artist and educator Pat Watson creates unique works of art in a variety of media, with an emphasis on work relating to life in California: from the coast to the deserts, from expressive representation to surrealistic suggestion. Creative exploration is a defining characteristic of Pat's work and he frequently combines media and techniques to achieve a look and feel a bit unlike anything you've seen before.

Artist Statement

These paintings evolved from my life in the high desert of California and represent my attempt to interpret the dynamic life and landscape with a unique technical approach that combines ink, watercolor and gouache. In my application of media to the surface, I'm challenging myself to explore the depth and detail of what I see in a meditative way, seeing each detail as a facet of the metaphysical jewels found in the desert.

Artist Biography: Paul Kelley is an Inland Empire-based artist who combines photographs, video, projection and found objects to create images, animations and installations. His driving force is to find ordinary items and materials from everyday surroundings and turns them into subjects for focus and attention. The work is built on the idea of playful observation and documentation. Paul has exhibited artwork throughout Southern California. He received his BA in Studio Art from the University of California, Riverside and his MFA in Visual Art from Claremont Graduate University. He is the recipient of CGU’s Joe Sonneman Photography Prize.

Artist Statement: Initially, I thought about how fences could be understood as measurement devices. Certain materials and the surrounding environment can be instruments in observing change. Upon photographing fences throughout the inland Empire, I discovered that some had a very sculptural presence in the environment or took on the look and feel of collage. I began to see them as inadvertent works of art. It became interesting to think about the choices in material – the oddments, the activity, the property and the overall surroundings. How did it all come together? How might these spaces change over time?