Summary
The gallery exhibition features a presentation of analog visual works with a seascape theme. The inspiration evident in past creative works, including bronze sculptures created over time at CSUEB, is the primary concept behind the key final image of the newly created works. More specifically, the experimentation with the Japanese printing technique Gyotaku, combined with freehand drawings inspired by imagination and scientific illustration. Additionally, mixed-media paintings, and collage are exhibited.
STATEMENT:
The idea of creating an idyllic seascape image that differs in technical execution between one medium and another is of crucial importance to the artist. The artist follows the inner feeling that differences in technique enrich the opportunity to experience a broader artistry for both herself and the viewer.
The artist's interests lie in the contrast between positive and negative space in the artwork, which varies from one piece to the next, based on media, technique of application, background color, and scale. The recurring black and white motif serves as a metaphor for the juxtaposition of death and life, much like an X-ray image intertwined with rebirth. In addition to that, a sustainable approach to creative expression involves finding overall inspiring and innovative solutions that align with the artist's creative vision. Principles of design throughout the exhibit are repetition (of fish) and its natural environment (seascape), which creates a unified visual language through the reuse of existing materials.
Fish in colors
Gyotaku print/Drawing 2025
Old Newsprint, black block printing ink/water-soluble, colored pencils
18”x 24” matting 26.5”x 20.5”
"Fish in Colors" is a series of eight drawings that celebrate the beauty of imaginative fish made from a handmade print of a dead fish. The artist was fascinated by the idea that the combination of colors encourages reflection on rebirth, that is, the life of something that no longer exists in its original form and function. The imprint as a memory of the past, which, however, is not erased and can only become a new wave of inspiration over time, is therefore crucial in the perception of imaginative images, which in turn become eternal, i.e., the opposite of the ephemeral.
Symbiosis
Painting, Mixed media 2025
Used canvas, black gesso, white charcoal, white pastel, acrylic paint, oil paint
3’x 4’
The painting, "Symbiosis", was created under the influence of the artist's interest in the form of a fire fish. The artist's profile, coexisting with a fish, expresses this interest in the surrealist style. The line and the circle, as the primary pictorial and design elements, illustrate and represent the artist's past expressions, the use of different digital creative tools, and ultimately the combination of these elements in the analog painting. The artist perceives the combination of drawing and painting as necessary for a personal striving toward balance between opposing worlds, such as imagination and reality.
Underwater scene
Sculpture, Bronze 2023-2025
Wax rods, foundry, cast, patina
"Underwater scene” is a series of six bronze pieces: Judy, the fish; Shell Michelle; Oyster with Pearls; Porthole; Broken Chain; and Anchor, all of which are part of the underwater living environment. Pearls in the oyster that grows out of the shipwreck are the symbol of hope. The anchor, separated in the layout, illustrates the distance of a fleeting period of life through space and time, suggesting changes as part of our lives. There is an element of surprise, that is an artist's poem on the back of the shipwreck and a hidden sound effect of Judy, the fish.
Horizon line
Collage 2025
Old magazines, scissors, glue
16”x 23’
“Horizon line” is a series of 20 collages (3”x 3 3/4” matting 12”x 16”) representing a seascape made from old fashion magazines, inspired by the project on Atmospheric perspective in the Color and Concept class. It is practically impossible not to remain inspired by living near the bay, traveling along the Pacific coast, and the islands. The collage art is based on the artist’s personal travels throughout her life in California, as well as beautiful childhood memories spent in Dalmatia, island of Pag. This art builds upon the fantastic colors of the sea, the ocean, fog, and sunsets, all at once.
Fish from the Depths
Painting, Mixed media 2025
Used canvas, wood panels, black gesso, white pastel chalk, oil paint
From smallest to largest; 3”x 3” 6”x 6”, 5”x 7” 8”x 8”, 10”x 8”, 12”x 9” / 4 3/4”x 6 3/4”, 12”x 12”
"Fish from the Depths" is a series of mixed media paintings featuring semi-realistic fish. Inspired by the project of abstract painting on black gesso in Painting I class, the collection, featured on small canvases or wood panels, depicts the opposite of abstract, small fish in lifelike images with imaginative colors. This illustrates the inevitable transformation or alternation of the world we live in, which is increasingly common, perhaps even desirable. Knowing that the Earth is warming and that sea levels around the world are rising, the artist is excited about the idea of living among colorful fish, which she can think of as either active company or silent decoration.