His Own Mythology: the Art and Music of John Dyer Baizley
I first came across the visual art of metal musician John Dyer Baizley last year. I saw a band T-shirt that was so stunningly beautiful it made me stop in my tracks. The shirt, advertising the Norwegian punk/metal band Kvelertak, interlaced women and an owl with black ink outlines and delicate watercolor shading. The artwork recalled the style of 19th-century Art Nouveau lithographic artist Alphonse Mucha, and included women who looked like they... Read More
A Lasting Heritage: An Interview with Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt
Deciding to devote your life to making music or another artistic endeavor has probably always been a difficult decision that entailed making some personal sacrifices. These days the decision to pursue music feels particularly hard, because while technology makes it so we can easily write, record and put music out on the internet, there are seemingly less ways to earn money through songwriting. While I am a firm believer that we should always follow... Read More
War and Fashion
The concepts of war and fashion are seemingly disparate but in Andriy Halashyn’s oil paintings at SALT Fine Art in Laguna Beach soldiers and fashion models seamlessly co-exist on one canvas. In the aptly named War and Fashion series Halashyn cleverly fuses the imagery of combat and vogue into a single scene. The two are merged so naturally the deceptively cheery paintings create tension as the viewer tries to reconcile how the two can exist together.... Read More
Pure Joy: M. Ward at Fingerprints on April 21
This past Saturday April 21st, folk singer M. Ward played an intimate sold-out show to an enrapt audience at Long Beach’s Fingerprints Record Store during their Record Store Day celebration. Fingerprints, located at 420 East 4th Street in the Long Beach East Village Arts district, continually showcases awesome talent during their free in-store performances. The in-store performances I have attended over the years have all felt special, as the... Read More
OC Art Blogger on the move – Good Art in Texas?
San Antonio, TX. At the 2012 SSCA annual conference, this year held in The Alamo City, San Antonio, three Orange County writers were shocked and amazed by this fascinating and artistic city! Who would have thought that The Alamo City had good art! Ok, maybe Los Angeles and Orange County have warped my mind into forgetting about the other states outside of New York and California for art in America, but I stand corrected! Texas definitely has art.... Read More
The Art Is Waiting: Joe Sorren’s New Series “When the Rain Comes”
Joe Sorren’s paintings remind me of the sweetness of the simple moments in life, like a flower covered in dew sparkling in the sun or a child quietly playing in a garden. We have to intentionally stop being mentally absorbed in the incessant activities of our lives, to mindfully notice these sweet and movingly beautiful moments happening before our eyes everyday. Going to see Sorren’s paintings on display feels like this. Like a visit... Read More
The Scene – OC Art Blog Relaunch Party
So we had a little relaunch reception for the OC Art Blog last Saturday night, it was a great time. Thank you to the OC Art Blog writing team, and our friends and the OC art fans that came out to support. Special thanks to Memphis restaurant for hosting, David Michael Lee for heaps of help, and Sarah, Suzanne, and Joy for the great art on the walls. Here’s a short video of the event. Share this: Read More
Diebenkorn at OCMA: The exhibit to see this spring
Pacific Standard Time is closing at the end of this month and with Southern California artists on the mind OCMA is continuing the trend with a large exhibition dedicated to Richard Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park Series. The body of work spans over two decades (1967-1988) and is named after Diebenkorn’s studio in the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica where the abstract expressionist works were created. Ocean Park #27, 1970, Oil on canvas The comprehensive... Read More
OC ART BLOG RE-LAUNCH PARTY at the Santa Ana Art Walk Saturday April 7th
The OC Art Blog is hosting a re-launch party for it’s website in the back room of Memphis at the Santora on Saturday April 7th from 7-10PM during the Santa Ana Art Walk. The OC Art Blog is dedicated to the Orange County art community and has re-launched with a new format, new features and new writers. Enjoy drinks, appetizers, art by Suzanne Walsh, Sarah Walsh, Joy Shannon and Natasha Shah all while learning more about the new OC Art Blog. The OC... Read More
The Pacific Building Part Two: Into the Hive of the “Datadrone”
When real estate investor Davin Gumm set out to refurbish the Pacific Building in the heart of the Santa Ana Artist’s Village, he hoped that the office spaces would attract tenants who would use the lofts for “creative uses.” Gumm’s Copper Door beer bar in the basement of the Pacific Building has become a notable music venue that showcases quality local music, so it’s only fitting that the Pacific Building lofts... Read More
Upcoming Events
Add to Google
Quality Sponsors
