Local Artists to Display Pieces at “Fresh Voices” Exhibit
Deborah E. Giese, local artist and instructor at the Palos Verdes Arts Center, will be showing her art along with fellow artists Susan Whiting, Julie Robinson, Jinha Kim, Ann Johnson and Oana Gamlowski at the “Fresh Voices” exhibit from Feb. 1 to April 7.
The artists will be showing oil paintings, with an addition of pieces from Joe Devinny, a woodturning artist. The exhibit will take place at Winkworth Wealth Management in Malaga Cove Plaza, with both an opening reception on Feb. 25 and a closing reception on April 7 during which people can meet the artists and enjoy music and refreshments.
The oil painting artists sharing their pieces are all in Giese’s class, “Exploring Your Unique Voice Using Water Mixable Oil,” at the Palos Verdes Arts Center. In the class, they focus on the fundamentals of art, from texture to forms and shapes, and the principles of design.
The class title inspired the exhibit name, “Fresh Voices,” because this exhibit will included both seasoned artists and new artists who have not shown art before.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a professional,” Giese says. “You always have to go back to the fundamentals. Always. What’s wonderful is you can come in at any level and get better where you’re at or learn or grow, and that’s how you then explore your own uniqueness.”
Giese said this show will be unique because it will share art from a diverse group, with artist coming from various backgrounds and with different styles within the realm of oil painting.
“That’s what you’ll see in this show is how interesting and different everybody is, but they all go back to using the fundamentals correctly,” Giese says.
Since this exhibit will feature seven different artists, the preparation process has required collaboration to ensure everyone’s opinions are taken into account. While the exhibit finds its strength in diversity, the artists have had to master finding a cohesiveness among their pieces for the exhibit.
“We have the full gamut,” Giese says. “What I’m learning is it doesn’t really matter how long you’ve been doing it. It’s more the passion you have for it and the ability to share and support each other. I’ve learned that more than anything else with this group.”
Giese emphasizes that bringing together this group of artists has provided them with ways to support each other in their ventures. She is especially excited to see the new artists experience the process of sharing their art with the world for the first time and where they take their art beyond the show.
“When people buy my art, I see that as a wonderful tribute to what I’m trying to accomplish because they take it home and they love it,” Giese says. “That’s what I’m trying to do also with my fellow artists is to have them feel the accomplishment of exhibiting and selling their art.”
Giese and the other artists have been working with Jody Wiggins, the organizer for exhibits at Winkworth Wealth Management, a location that owner Sandro John Winkworth offers as a space for artists to exhibit their work. A portion of the proceeds from the “Fresh Voices” exhibit will be donated to the Bresee Foundation, an organization that supports Los Angeles youth and families.
“We want to get not just artists to come, but the public to come,” Giese says. “That’s important to me.”