While this new year has certainly been fraught as far as the current national and global news goes, individually and collectively we still have the chance to put our “first foot forward.”
With First Foot: Landscapes for a New Year, opening this Saturday, January 17th from 4-7 p.m. at Garel Gallery in Manhattan Beach, five artists are doing exactly that with vivid and exciting looks forward at scenes both beautiful and edgy, ranging from the representative to the abstract.
In Scottish, Northern English, and Manx folklore, the first foot refers to the first person to enter a home on New Year’s Day, with that person thought to be a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. Attending the exhibition might just bring good luck to all viewers, and it will certainly bring five unique visions to start the year right.
Working in oil, Eileen Oda brings lush and dreamy magical realism in her vividly colored, richly dimensional seascapes and desert vistas that sing with light. There are fields of pale purple flowers with a sky lucid and pink behind them, royal blue mountains, and dimensional, exsculpainted flowers blossoming on a sweeping coastal cliff.
Linda Stelling’s hypnotically blissful, motion-filled images of nature’s beauty invest her mix of the impressionistic and the abstract with wonder. Here are opalescent ocean tides and delicate, moody sunset skies that shimmer dreamily. Her acrylic on canvas works are immersive and wondrous.
Lynette K. Henderson’s startling urban realism juxtaposes familiar Los Angeles landscapes with the hauntingly visceral animals whose habitats our lives have upended. From a startled bat outside the Odeon Theater marquee to a vigilant coyote by the Santa Monica pier, and voluptuous flightless cassowaries luxuriating in island palms. these are stunning images pull the viewer
Valerie Wilcox focuses on the landscape of the architectural, reinventing the world around her with mixed media wall sculptures that lead the viewer into a bold, riveting new world. Abstract and utterly involving, these wall sculptures are as compelling as they are contemplative.
Also exhibiting is gallerist and artist Joanna Garel, whose cool, clean, beach-centric landscapes feature iconic images such as lifeguard towers and sky-brushing palms in a rainbow of colors.
Above: Gallerist and artist Joanna Garel, left; myself, right
Self-involvement noted: I had the pleasure of curating these beautiful works, and with a nod to the (near) future, I will soon be taking over this gallery space with a new name, Diversions Fine Arts Gallery, and many amazing artists. So come get a taste this weekend – after all, we have to step into this new year first foot and all!
Garel Fine Arts is located at 1069 N. Aviation in Manhattan Beach. Tons of free side street parking.
Opening reception: Saturday, January 17th 4-7 p.m.
Artist talk and closing: Saturday, February 7th 3-5 p.m.