OC Weekly's
Artopia
Saturday, May 2, 2015
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Business Expo Center
1960 South Anaheim Way
Anaheim, CA 92805
Artopia is a unique art event in that the featured artists are curated by you! Hundreds of artists submitted their artwork to OC Weekly in hopes of being chosen. From there, 30 finalists were selected by OC Weekly and then introduced to the public during a voting round! See below for the 20 winners who will be featured with their artwork at Artopia 2015!
http://www.PrincePat.com
Born and raised in Orange County and have loved art since I opened my first page of comics which is a very old issue of Fantastic Four. After studying fine arts and graphic design with an associates at college and a bachelors from Cal State Fullerton, I painted full time while freelancing as a designer. I fell in love with photography when I picked up my first camera which is a Cannon Rebel ti1 and have always been fascinated with pin ups and fashion photography ever since I discovered porn in my teens. My goal is to forcibly shove my artistic flair into my photography works and always trying to improve as an artist.
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http://rdbl.co/1JadxOo
Robert Joseph Ball explores nature and abstraction through photography and digital manipulation. Pushing nature to abstraction using balance, composition, emphasis, texture, and unity. His love of nature is a constant source of inspiration from which he draws. Robert takes many hikes with his camera, throughout all of southern California, from the mountains to the Pacific Ocean, looking for beauty to capture.
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http://www.tylerspangler.com
Tyler Spangler's work focuses on the formalist relationship between images removed from their original context. He explores the connotations of color, form, and photography through the medium of digital collage. His designs are colorful and unabashedly chaotic. Over the last three years, Tyler has created six 440 paged books filled with his own designs and worked on countless collaborations internationally. He has a BA in Psychology and is an Art Center College of Design dropout. He ran an illegal punk venue for 13 shows until it got shut down by police. Tyler currently freelances and works with clients in the music, surf, and textile industry.
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http://www.davidmoyle.com
David Moyle is a photographer from Orange County whose artistic work has been displayed at several galleries throughout Southern California. In 2009 his photography was selected as a finalist for the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction's annual erotic art competition. He was also honored with an award from B&W; Magazine in their 2013 Single Image Award Issue for "Metaphor/Abstract", and with an international nomination for his image titled "Miscarriage" in the B&W; Spider Awards in the Fine Art category.
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I began drawing and doodling on the walls when I was 4 or 5, my parents told me. While in college, my art instructors strongly encouraged me to pursue art. But life interrupted and its path has taken me into medicine in which I became a doctor. I suffered a great loss in the family in 2005. Although medicine is a great field of healing arts – and I was tremendously honored to be a part of it, I'm making a transition now to become a professional artist. I began painting with oil in October of 2014. As old as I am, some people may question my move at this time. But, I believe all of my life experiences, with all of its ups and downs, all the various places and people, and all the trials and joy, have led me to this season of change and vision. I believe that God gives every single one of us a gift to be used for everyone else. I've been neglecting my first gift … but now I'm embracing it with passion. With hard work and dedication, a little inspiration can go a long way. I hope to bring mine to you through beautiful paintings in the future.
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http://endoneart.bigcartel.com/
END ONE grew up in PLACENTIA CA. He currently resides in LBC with his wife and son. He started out like a lot of OC kids just painting, drawing, skateboarding and even rapping. But a love for Graffiti, Hip-hop, Punk, Tattoos, and all things Macabre made painting "stick". These things def still reflect in his work! He has had no formal art classes, schooling, or training. As a believer that "End One Art is Art for everyone" he has been known for giving away art to fans and small businesses and even leaving artwork on random spots for unsuspecting people to find. With no contact info just a note simply instructing to enjoy Free Art and pay it forward!
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My name is Lily La Bare and I was raised in Huntington Beach at a time tomato fields ruled the landscape and I could sit on the roof of my house and see the ocean. It was a time when shoes were optional, playing outside was king, and I went door-to-door selling my homemade art for a nickel. When I ran out of artwork, I sold earthworms for a dime. If you look deep into my eyes you will see mischief. Pranks, cheap parlor tricks, and jokes fuel me. If you look into my soul you will see that beauty abounds there and my heart might as well be my brain. My artwork stems from life's little observations. Whether I am people watching in the city or taking a stroll in the forest, I take note, put my spin on it and translate it via pastels, collage, or mixed media. Most recently, I am drawn to found object and assemblage sculptures. I create sculptures combining elements from my Mexican and French heritage: Dia de los Muertos and Voudou. The materials I use are found in abandoned lots, roadside stops, curio shops, flea markets, forested trails, and even my own closet. These types of assemblages are intended to delight the eye, inspire, evoke a memory, start a conversation, tickle the funny bone, or simply to ask "why?"
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I have spent the last decade on this planet traveling the world, tattooing my way to the places I would read about in magazines and see in postcards. It was traveling and creating art that went hand in hand with each other. Through tattooing, it was my ticket to see the world. Living the life of a vagabond. The subject matter of my work exists as a critique of my own human condition. I look into misery, loss, sex, fear, and the illusions of everyday life. A society that I find myself slowly disconnecting with, with every travel I make, and any free moment I have to reflect. I strive everyday to find my own voice through art and struggle just as often in the process. It was those very feelings mixed with boredom that made me dip my water-soaked brush into my ashtray. My recent body of work is created with the use of tobacco. The consistent material in between my fingers at what seems like all times. The subject matter of each piece determines the usage of the medium. Sometimes used 100% in a painting, and other times mixed with graphite and ink. But always mixed with water to create the fluidity of the medium.
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http://www.behance.net/jeffreyperez12
Hey there, this is Jeffrey Perez shouting out to you from outer space. I am a recent graduate from California State University Los Angeles with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts/Animation. I've spent all my life in the city of Alhambra, mostly eating donuts and taking our local transit bus in circles just for fun. I'm 25 years old and I like to lie about my age because if you look at me, I can get away with 18 or sometimes 40, just depends on which age I feel like acting like that day. I am Hispanic, but everyone says I look Filipino, and I say sure, why not. I am an Illustrator and Animator, in which I have developed my own artistic style over the years. I enjoy poking fun at pop culture with my art, as you can see, whether it's film, music, or television. I am very much influenced by my hero, Salvador Dali, the style of art featured in 1960's children's books, and 1950's science fiction films. I also enjoy drawing dozens of self portraits, of myself of course, with different mediums.
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http://sarasart.tumblr.com/
Sara Haase is a 2014 California State University Long Beach Illustration BFA graduate. She began showing her artwork in LA galleries in 2007 and had her first solo show at Rothick Art Haus in Anaheim in 2011. Throughout high school, tribal belly dancers were her favorite subject to paint. Since then the female figure has consistently been the theme of her art. A certain nostalgia for the color palettes and imagery from the 60's and 70's also makes its way into her work. Aside from studying illustration, she is also a student of massage therapy at Healing Hands: School of Holistic Health. Since working with bodies, she has gotten to further explore the topography of the human figure and bring that into her work. She enjoys painting with oils, watercolors, acrylics, etc. and enjoys experimenting with techniques ranging from airbrushing to bleach pen negative art. When she's not painting, she enjoys surfing and belly dancing.
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Photographer, cook, music industry guy, wandering vagabond. When Jim Colombo shoots, he always thinks about what the people that are not in the image would have been doing if they were. Why is the abandoned building empty? What were the stories of the people that lived or worked there? If the photo is of food, he likes to think about people sitting around the table eating, drinking and that gives him a sense of their community. He wonders what stories they would tell each other. In addition to his journey in the restaurant world, working as a tour manager for a popular alternative rock band and serving as a production coordinator for a commercial radio station, Colombo spent time with one of NYC's finest photographers, shooting cuisine from some of the most sought after restaurants in the city. From there he found a passion in photography … and a really great tool to daydream.
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Paul Anderson grew up on the South Side of Chicago and was a late bloomer to art. A 5th grade assignment offered the epiphany that led to hours of recreating Jack Kirby comic book covers on poster boards. His art teacher in high school – Sister Margot – was one of his most influential educators as she shepherded him toward portraiture. His favorite uncle – who studied with Robert Indiana, Richard Estes and other art world luminaries at the Art Institute of Chicago — spurred him to create a series of portraits of his father and friends when he looked at Anderson's sketchbook and remarked that art was a ‘‘nice hobby’’ for his nephew. Uncle Bob became his greatest mentor. Anderson's favorite painter is Ivan Albright, a fellow Chicago hyper- or magic realist. Chuck Close is a, well, close second (pun intended with tongue firmly in cheek). Anderson, who makes his living as a reporter, wants to be a painter when he grows up and has plans to do portraits of his 8-month-old twins, Lara and Lennon, as well as his splendiferous wife, Mona.
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http://www.AllwinePhotography.com
After starting his career shooting primarily international landscapes, Christopher Wayne Allwine became fascinated with the storytelling qualities of night photography. He began to create images using a meticulous combination of handheld lighting tools and prolonged camera exposures. By augmenting his scenes with equipment ranging from flashlights and gelled strobes, Allwine is essentially granted the ability to treat his subjects like a blank canvas – using cinematic and theatrical techniques to manage the composition, create mood, and lead the viewer's eye.
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http://www.playaborn.com/
My journey to creating wearable art started with preparing for my first trip to Burning Man. Searching for fun and edgy decorations for myself, I found that everything was either too expensive or wasn't quite right for me. So instead, I bought a sewing machine, taught myself to sew, and started crafting fur clothing for the burn. After the burn I was inspired to create more pieces for local events. Over the course of the next year I started selling wearable art at first by word of mouth and then online. In 2013 I began working with feathers and leather and I discovered a passion and talent I had never known existed. I was overwhelmed by the positive response and encouragement to start selling them and I decided to work on turning my passion into my career.
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http://www.katerinaperdue.com
My personal goal for my art is that each piece tells a unique story. To that end, I love the stimulation and result of juxtaposing the extraordinary, nostalgic, symbolic, and unusual. I research my subject matter incessantly and frequently turn to atypical inspiration for my work, from sideshow freaks and rotten teeth to bottles of booze and old broken toys. I choose to see beauty in places where many see only ugliness. Likewise, I have a particular passion for collaging distinctly diverse elements together to illustrate their innate harmony. And, for what it's worth, I most definitely have an obsession with kewpie dolls.
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http://www.ShleeArt.net
Growing up in Dana Point, Ashley Keene has been strongly influenced by the local surf culture and ocean vistas. Inspired by nature's curves and beauty, she often depicts her favorite animals and landscapes, adding her own surreal element. "I enjoy making use of bright colors to create a dreamlike ambiance in each of my paintings," she says of her work. Keene has gained much of her experience working with fellow artists and designers at companies such as Lost Enterprises and Story Art Collective. In 2013, she was the local artist selected to paint an elephant for the Elephant Parade in Dana Point, and has continued to participate in public art projects in cities such as Laguna Beach and San Clemente.
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http://instagram.com/m1kezor
Raised with the strong influences of Graffiti Art and its culture through his childhood, Michael Ong also known as m1kezor, began to find and nurture his artistic voice. This self taught artist started his imaginative career in the late '90s on the streets, placing his own touch on the mixed urban landscape with his elaborate art. By 2003 he began experimenting with injecting his own ideas onto canvas and other mediums. Specializing in spray paint and acrylic, this visionary painter takes his influence from nature and his drive and direction has only grown stronger with age. Creating his ideas with bold lines and vibrant color, m1kezor tackles anything from simple designs to abstract impressions.
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www.afrocentrickeyy.com
Kiarra Elliott started Afrocentric Keyy in 2013 as a way to introduce her own unique style of art making to the world. Graduating college from University of California, Riverside with a BA in Studio Arts and minor in Business Marketing in March 2013, she decided to take her years of experience in studying and making art into a career. She developed her own style of portraying beauty and strength using a unique color palate for her in portrait images. Inspired by nature and the wonderful creation you can find in all forms in life; she fuses human, animal and organic plant forms in a way that they cohesively work together. AfrocentricKeyy is the bridging of metaphorical and physical meaning of what is beauty.
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http://instagram.com/drkhaus
No stranger to the Orange County art scene, Nick Rothweiler cofounder of Rothick art haus in Anaheim, has dedicated the last 5 years to cultivating a hip art scene behind the orange curtain. In 2014 Nick began using Rothick art haus as studio space for his photography project, Drk Haus. New to the art of photography Nick Rothweiler does not identify himself as a photographer but rather as a fabricator. The art in his work is the costuming and props he makes, from couture dresses to thrones, photography is the tool to bring it all together.
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Vincent Quinn is an abstract artist from Orange County, California. He's not an overbearing artist who needs every line to be perfect. Instead he let's the pen lead him into a unique mixture of color, creativity and chaos. His art has a majestic, zen-like quality, and each piece bears different meaning to those who view it. Perhaps his talent stems from his love of martial arts and long-distance running, both of which require patience and stamina. Combined with an unparalleled imagination, Vincent takes us on a journey to his empire of artistically impressive creations.
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