ALIS Design+ Conference and Trade Fair, January 24 - 25 2024

I'm excited to announce that I have four paintings from my Absence and Presence series at the ALIS Design+ Conference and Trade Fair, January 24 - 25 in Los Angeles. I am exhibiting my work with DAC Art Consulting alongside works by Christina Kwan. I’m excited to share some photos of the installation below.

ALIS Design+ is a conference and trade fair where distinguished thought leaders from hotel ownership, investment, development, design, procurement, construction, architecture, and consultancy come together for a discussion on the industry’s future. Together, they engage in forward-looking conversations, diving into best practices and pioneering solutions that elevate creativity and ingenuity.

(Clockwise, beginning top left) Altadena Crest Trail, 2023; Sam Merrill Trail, 2023; Desert Trail, 2019; Diarmuid’s Farm, 2019

Transforming Loss at She/They Gallery

Grateful to have had two paintings included in the group show Transforming Loss curated by Kate Ryan & Gabrielle b. mcLean. The opening reception was Saturday, November 4th 2023 at She/They Gallery in Santa Ana.
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𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧, 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘶𝘴𝘦. 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘴. 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪-𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴. 𝘈𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨.

The Sun Releases Saturn From Its Orbit (Takotsubo), 2023 (left) and Better Underwater?, 2019 (right)

2023 Rising Stars

I am honored to be a part of Saatchi Art’s 2023 Rising Stars campaign. Selected by Rebecca Wilson (Chief Curator & VP Art Advisory), Erin Remington (Director of Sales & Curation), and Megan Wright (Senior Curator), my work is included in the Figurative Art category, aptly titled “The Observers”.

For over a decade, Saatchi’s curators have published their definitive list of recent art school graduates and up-and-coming artists you should invest in now. This year they’ve designated 28 emerging artists— many of whom have recently graduated from BFA and MFA programs—who are making some of the most compelling and collectible art today. Some are continuing the legacies of art history giants, others are using new technologies, many are exploring contemporary issues and themes, and yet all are creating powerful work which has a strong potential to increase in value.

View the 2023 Rising Stars campaign online: https://www.saatchiart.com/stories/rising-stars-2023

Post-Reception- Thank you!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the opening reception of my solo show “Simulated Memory” at She/They Gallery! It was an awesome opening, and we had a really great turn out- it was so much fun to have the opening on the same night as the Santa Ana Art Walk. I’m very appreciative for all the friends and new faces that turned up at the gallery to see my work. Much thanks to the friends who came out for my private walk-through. The show is up by appointment until September 27th. Please contact Renée Ortiz of She/They Gallery to make an appointment.

She/They Gallery of Contemporary Womyn’s Art

@she.they.gallery_

ReneeOrtizStudios@gmail.com

Simulated Memory at She/They Gallery for Contemporary Womyn's Art

I’m excited to announce the opening of my solo exhibition “Simulated Memory” with She/They Gallery of Contemporary Womyn’s Art in Santa Ana, CA. I will be exhibiting new 21 oil and watercolor paintings from the past year.

The opening reception is on September 3rd, 2022 from 5pm - 9pm, and the gallery is located on the second floor of the Santora Arts Building, within the Artist Village. If you are in the Orange County/SoCal area, I would love to see you there! The show will run from September 1 - 26, 2022.

Friend of the Artist Volume 13

My work has been featured in Volume 13 of Friend of the Artist! Three paintings from my “Precipice” series are displayed among the works of 53 artists from 8 different countries. The selection was juried by Alice Bonnot, Marco Galvan, Camilla Moresi, and the FOA staff.

“Friend of the Artist is a platform dedicated to showcasing the work of extremely talented emerging artists from around the world. Each volume is unique and features a diversity of aesthetics and ideas.”

Recent Projects

This summer has kept me busy in the best way; I’ve had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in my studio, reinventing my work, drawing, painting, and creating color studies. It felt like it was time for me to change gears and focus on bringing some different elements into my work. I’ve dived back into color theory and focusing on compositions shapes, and am already seeing how these studies are translating into my larger works. More notes on color soon.

Post Holiday Market Sale

What a successful holiday market at Daydream Surf Shop this past Sunday! I had a great time chatting with so many new folks and it was great to see some familiar faces who came to support and get first dibs on some new work I had available for sale. Here’s a selection of some of the artwork sold this past weekend:

Eucalyptus I, Watercolor on paper, 12%22 x 18%22.jpg
Eucalyptus II, Watercolor on paper, 18%22 x 12%22.jpg
Hyssop.JPG
DSC_0146_o.jpg
Elecampane 12%22 x 12%22.jpg

Stay posted for more markets, shows, and upcoming events in the New Year!

-KB

Discoveries in Limitation

While my recent paintings are much more minimal than I am used to, they have been some of the most difficult paintings for me to make. Many of my paintings have multitudes of layers, and mistakes can easily be hidden or painted over. The recent paintings are unforgiving; in part because of the stark white backgrounds, and that each brushstroke cannot be erased or undone. Every brushstroke is carefully considered so as to keep balance and flow within the painting as a whole. I often practice the brushstroke I want to make many, many times in the air in front of my easel before actually letting the brush touch the paper. Happy accidents often occur, and if I make a mistake, I have to incorporate it and balance the rest of the painting around it. These works on paper have been a good challenge for me in learning to limit myself down to the bare essentials, and in knowing when to stop.

Untitled (Canyon Path), Oil on paper, 30” x 22”

Untitled (Shady Canyon), Oil on paper, 22” x 30”

Untitled (Trees and Field on a Foggy Morning), Oil on paper, 30” x 22”

Painting Process

Tell us a little about yourself and what it is that you create.

“I’ve always had a strong awareness and concern for the environment and the importance of protecting it. I also hold an immense sense of wonder for the natural world. These two things have created in me a deep reverence for nature and understanding of all life as sacred. I create oil paintings, watercolors, and drawings that are influenced by these beliefs. I sometimes mix gravel, sand, dirt, wax, or fibers into my oil paint to create sculptural moments in the paintings and incorporate tangible elements of the landscape.”

Why do you create? What inspires your work?

“My work has always been inspired by my connection to nature and to my spirituality. Painting is a way for me to process my experiences, and sometimes to hold memories close for a little longer. I paint the things I love, the things I’m moved by, the things I fear, and the things I desire. My work is about my physical and perceivable connection with our planet, and simultaneously and paradoxically, my ethereal experiences that remain intangible. ”

What’s your process like? Tell us a little about what you do.

“I record my experiences in nature in sketchbooks, as photographs, and as collected objects which I bring back into my studio. While I am painting, I am often enmeshed in a landscape of my own creation, surrounded by branches, plants, rocks, and other objects that inspire me or help me recall the particular feelings from the time I discovered them. I work directly from or with these natural objects, sketches, and photographs to create paintings that feel as if they were gleaned from the landscape. ”

The Other Art Fair

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support and see my paintings this past weekend at The Other Art Fair! What a whirlwind! I am so grateful for all the connections, new faces, and lovely artists I got the chance to meet while at The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Thursday was such a crazy rush- with my car and a van packed with all my paintings, display supplies, and tools, I drove from Orange County up to Santa Monica. I arrived at 10am to prepare and set up for the VIP opening reception that evening. However, I arrived to find that the painting crew had not finished painting my walls! I waited an additional two hours to begin hanging as the painters finished up the walls and we gave them ample time to dry. It took about 5 hours to hang and prepare everything for the opening.

The Private View opening reception was sold out and packed with curators, gallery representatives, collectors, and art lovers of all kinds. I got an overwhelming response to my paintings and made some great connections. My work “Reef” was also a part of Kate Bryan’s “31 Women” exhibition- read my previous post for more information- this mini exhibition within the fair was a big hit. I also found out that I was the youngest person exhibiting at the Fair this Fall. I couldn’t believe it!

Friday was just as busy as Thursday night, and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to so many people in depth about my work. Most people were very intrigued and amazed at the amount of texture, alternative materials, and three-dimensional elements within my paintings. Friday evening was Friends and Family evening, and I was thrilled to see so many people I love come out to support me, see my paintings, and enjoy a fun evening socializing and looking at art.

The rest of the weekend was more mellow, and I could relax by my work and enjoy chatting with many interesting visitors, art lovers, art students, families, and more. I was also thrilled about getting to connect with some of the other artists in the fair! I know I will be keeping in touch with many and am excited about new artistic friendships.

I am grateful for the works that found new homes and for such an overwhelmingly positive, loving, emotional, and moving response to my paintings. I am newly inspired to paint and can’t wait to start my new body of work. I am so thankful the fair has given me newfound energy, enthusiasm, and inspiration to bring back into my studio.