The San Diego Arts & Culture Weekly Review

Throughout history, societies and communities that embraced the arts often found themselves at the forefront of social and political change – decades ahead of those that have discouraged or diminished the role of the arts in their societies.  Our rich history of social and political progress is due in no small part to the active and courageous artistic community that calls Southern California home. We hope that by highlighting the rising stars of our local art community on a weekly basis, we can help increase our community’s engagement with local art and the artists that devote their life to moving society forward.

Patina on “Traveler” super funky lighting makes for not so amazing pics, but here’s the process. #bronzecastingprocess #bronze #figuresculpture #lcadbfa #lcadsculpture

A post shared by Brittany Ryan (@brittanyryanart) on Apr 19, 2018 at 6:42pm PDT

Chalk Festival and car show in Pasadena for Father’s Day! . . . #chalkfestival #fathersday #pasadena #family #carshow #lovemydad #art #chalk #artist #sunday #Dad ❤️🌟😘

A post shared by Christine Vert (@vertironworks) on Jun 17, 2018 at 6:43pm PDT

Making xochitl flower mini planters today, order yours🌻 #xochitl #handmadeceramics #xicanx #ceramics #womenofcolorbusiness #madeineastla

A post shared by Tlahui Nursery & Ceramics (@tlahui_nursery) on Jul 31, 2018 at 12:19pm PDT

My appropriation of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus hanging in a collectors home in Bel Air California. I feel so blessed when I see my work hanging in beautiful places. As an artist the stewards of my work are very important. To know that a piece will be treated with care and dignity is of the utmost importance to me. #michaelcallas

A post shared by Michael Callas (@michaelacallas) on Feb 12, 2018 at 9:26am PST

Do I need a gallery representation for this piece ? Please comment yes or no ! Thoroughly appreciated. This is a wip of my work. #hyperrealism #realistic #contemporaryart #painting #oilpainting

A post shared by Sej (@sejzinn) on Jul 25, 2018 at 8:52pm PDT

#travelsketch #summerinmaine #cascobay #watercolor #watercolorsofinstagram #morninglight

A post shared by Robin.Purcell@gmail.com (@robinpurcellpaints) on Aug 3, 2018 at 7:17pm PDT

It’s ok to fail miserably. What’s not ok, is to give up. I think it’s easy for people to assume that everything just comes easy to someone with talent. Almost like they can do no wrong, or that everything they create is “perfect.” But the truth is, I can draw a million faces and sometimes it just isn’t my night. Like all great artists, true talent is attained through a process of repetition. True talent takes hours and hours of grueling persistence. It takes trial and error and it takes failure more times than it takes success. I can’t tell you how many pieces I’ve literally cried over because I spent so much time on them and I just couldn’t stand to look at them when I finished. I would often plague myself with thoughts that shed light on the possibilities of what people might think if they had seen that I had created something that didn’t look very good. Would they think I had no talent? Would they dismiss me as a real artist? I would often throw my brushes down and grieve briefly in the belief that maybe I just wasn’t cut out to be an artist. I would have these short moments of self sabotage, where I would swear off art all together, followed by yet again, more attempts to better my abilities. This is a cycle I ran around in for years and still do. In fact I called my roommate tonight when I finished this piece and forced him to tell me that it looked “ok,” just so I could feel better about sharing it. But it didn’t work. The truth is, even now, 10 years into art, I am still just a student. I still have pieces that make me cringe and that fall short of the expectation I had created in my mind of what I had wished it could be. It wasn’t until I got off the phone with him that I realized how ridiculous my perception of this piece of art had been. I mean, it’s made out of a single packet of dried coffee creamer for Christ sake. Who does that?! I do. I create with just about anything I can get my hands on, and it’s not always stunning. Sometimes it’s just about experimenting and seeing what’s possible. I decided to get over my fear and share this piece anyway. This is not my best work, no… but I enjoyed every moment of creating it. So here it is. #FailedAttempt

A post shared by Nancy Charles (MACHINE) (@mymachineworld) on Mar 30, 2018 at 9:19am PDT

today’s drawing

A post shared by Rio Baxter (@riobaxtr) on May 3, 2018 at 3:07pm PDT

Crop of this recently finished piece. Thinking about all the projects I need to finish before the fall. #watercolor #watercolors #illustration #illustrator #mushrooms #night #moon #beautifulbizarre #notyourgrandmotherswatercolors

A post shared by Shannon Taylor (@magicmakerdreamweaver) on Aug 1, 2018 at 8:06pm PDT

Just sold this piece of artwork a few days ago, “Missing Ivory”, from Quorum Gallery Laguna Beach. Some sales are a bit bittersweet but they do find loving homes! Lol #oilpainting #elephant #elephantpainting #fineart #dailyart #instaart #instaartist #gallerywall #studio #africa #quorum_art_gallery

A post shared by Tamara Wood. (@artoftamarawood) on Jun 11, 2018 at 3:04pm PDT

The Night Within Creates Stars Oil on wood panel | 8″ tondo | 2016 Available through @abendgallery . . A companion piece to my painting “Through Darkness Comes Light” (which you can find in my profile). It also deals with the same theme: life-force coming from within, made manifest. Red is showing up a lot in my work lately. I guess you could say that this is the first inkling of that. 🙂 . . . #AllTooHuman #contemporaryart #figurativeart #oilpainting #light #abendgallery #artcollector #arte #contemporarypainting #contemporarypainter #artist #contemporaryrealism #oiloncanvas #fineart #instaart #artlovers #americanartcollector #fineartconnoisseurmagazine #beautifulbizarre #creativeuprising #figurepainting #artistsoninstagram #aixaoliveras

A post shared by Aixa Oliveras (@aixa_oliveras) on Jun 21, 2018 at 10:37am PDT

This is how I meditate. 🎨 • • • • • #messyeverafter #intuitiveartist #paintingday #doitfortheprocess #studioscenes #courageouscreative #inspiremyinstagram #livecreatively #colorinspiration #abstractexpressionism #herestothecreatives #designisinthedetails #createcultivate #coloraddict #coloryourlife #darlingmoment #socalartist #livetoinspire #abmlifeiscolorful #alittlebeautyeveryday #simplethingsmadebeautiful #livecolorfully #acolorstory #abeautifulmess

A post shared by Art by Kelly Marie (@messyeverafter) on Jul 22, 2018 at 10:14am PDT

Dumpsters are the cows of urban landscape #painting #art #pleinair #dumpsters #sandiego

A post shared by Kevin Inman (@inman.kevin) on Jul 18, 2018 at 5:28pm PDT

Bits and pieces… natural highlights from incoming sun rays. #artstudio #artcollective #abstractart #paintingoftheday #love #life #power #spirit #mind #mindfulness #colors #artist #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram

A post shared by Joshua Helland (@artistjoshuahelland) on Feb 28, 2018 at 8:20am PST

Excited to share this new series of paintings by Boo 💫🎨 Keep your pants on, they are coming soon! #wip #progresspic

A post shared by Boo Deity (@boo_deity) on Jul 18, 2018 at 8:39am PDT

Gouache sketch “Luey the Surf” tribute to Rick Griffin .

A post shared by Bob Dob (@bobdob) on Jul 23, 2018 at 9:24am PDT

My “Dear Catrina” is a 20″ x 20″ x 1.5″ oil painting on canvas that was painted during the “Day of the Dead” celebration in Tubac, Arizona inspired by the La Calavera Catrina 1910–1913 zinc etching by famous Mexican printmaker, cartoon illustrator and lithographer José Guadalupe Posada https://squareup.com/store/danielle-nelisse-fine-art-studio/item/painting-dear-catrina z\ | #dayofthedead #tubac #lacalaveracatrina #tubacschooloffineart #catrina

A post shared by Danielle Nelisse (@daniellenelisse) on Jun 26, 2018 at 7:12am PDT

Happy Birthday Frida!🎨 “Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?” – Frida Kahlo #make_believe_face_painting #painting #frida #fridakahlo #happybirthday #rememberme

A post shared by Make Believe Face Painting (@make_believe_face_painting) on Jul 6, 2018 at 5:55pm PDT