Jorin Bossen

Jorin Bossen’s figurative paintings capture the attitude and personality of their subjects through his gestural use of paint. The thin washes and lush oil paint serve to both define and abstract the individuals represent on his canvases. Please visitJorin Bossen for more information and to contact the artist.

Spring Skiing II

This series of paintings concerns our beautiful chain of mountains known as High Sierra or the Sierra Nevada. I have borrowed the title from the great suspense mystery movie with Humphrey Bogart. The title and the movie captured the excitement, and mystery of the process of the formation of mountain topography as well as the experience of the ruggedness that envelopes the High Sierra. Yet, as a painter I am concerned with the psychological, existential, and spiritual edge that shares similarities with the experience of extreme sports in mountains like the Sierras, the Sawtooth Range, the Rockies, and the Sangre de Christo. These names and references themselves connote “out –there” adventure and exploration. Each painting is a new exploration of the thrill, edge, if you will, of the personal experience of a painter. Today, I am focusing on the experience of being on "The Wall" as an aritist.  It can be a very exciting, nerve racking experience.  The Wall of a gallery is much like the descent of the straight downhill  like the Cornice at Mammoth, or the North Shore in winter,  the north face of Patagonia. The subject manner can be buried in the paint and canvas, just as our true person can be buried under the veneers of our days and our personas.

"Exhibit Ahead"

Jonathan creates drawings and paintings as a way to process and expand his relationship with his environment. His work is influenced by his intimate surroundings, travel experiences, an art historical references. Jonathan received a BFA from Louisiana State University in 2011 and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art in 2014. He is currently a member of the Tiger Strikes Asteroid LA artists' collective and gallery in downtown Los Angeles. He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA and more of his work can be found at jonathanmryan.com  

Straight, No Chaser

Val Echavarria is an LA-based mixed-media artist. Her current work is oil and wax on canvas or panel. It is based on jazz. Automatic drawings are made listening to a piece of music. Studies are then rendered in watercolor before enlarging and transferring to a larger surface. Her music of choice at the moment is by Thelonious Monk accompanied by a nice scotch.

Arrows of Fire

We met Elizabeth last fall on the Arroyo Arts Collective Discovery Tour.  She was showing her work on the front terrace at the home of Roderick Smith.  Douglas wanted to buy one of her pieces but she had no interest in selling her work, she just wanted people to see it.  So we put her in the window.
When asked to describe her paintings, she had few words, "My work is brut, the creatures do the talking".  Roderick however had more to say, "" Powerful series of portraits! No question they are arrows of fire. Emotional bursts of color landing with psychological precision.  Primitive and alive. Unschooled and unwilling to bend to any orthodoxy. These are not pictures, they are exhalations of the spirit.  It's the real thing!" 

PatriciaLiverman.com

Patricia's work it layered paint on panels.  When I asked her about her process, she said "I am interested in paint as a physical material.  I like to layer it on until it's thick enough to pull it off of the canvas, then I cut it up and work with it dry. The process is similar to what we did as kids, covering our hands in glue, so that we could peel it off."

Patricia teaches painting at the Armory Center for the arts in Pasadena, and Design at Mount St. Mary's University.  She is also a fabulous web designer!  

You can see more of her work at patricialiverman.com

"Pop Realism"

Ralph Massey first came to Random wanting a red frame, a red frame, we fixed him up.  Ralph's work has a fine art playfulness that needs a red frame, or a yellow frame, maybe a trapezoid or hexagon.  His work has something of a "hey you"
attitude and can be found in collections around these United States.  Ralph has representation with the Sandra Lee Gallery  and says this, "I make art everyday. I have successfully avoided the pitfalls of career planning."

Maguey Spirits

  

      Raoul has been a friend of ours and a friend of Random Gallery since we were on Figueroa Street.  It is and honor to have him in the Slow Down Gallery window.  Those of you who have been on the inside of Random will have seen his bird house on our ledge, his textile piece in our office and we even have a light switch cover he painted in our hallway.  

      Kate and I have always been big fans, both of his art and of Rauol as a person.  Stopping at his studio/home on the Arroyo Arts Collective Discovery Tour should be at the top of anyones

list.

   
      Rauol writes, "I am told that my work is spiritual.  I can only guess that that perception comes from the fact that I consider the earth and its history sacred."