Artists

Cici Porter Groupé

I create art that celebrates the wild rhythms, luscious colors, and endless forms of nature. Her beauty and unbridled generosity are my inspiration and joy. I want to share my vision from the heart of Pacha Mama with a world that sorely needs to rest in her dignity, dance in her mystery and contemplate the majesty of all her creation!

I studied art in college and then flew off to Alaska to paint, play guitar, and write songs by a mountain stream. With art as a personal companion, I followed her music into a career that ultimately led to Southern California, regional touring and national music awards. Now I've turned my focus back to painting in a studio on Palomar Mountain, outside of San Diego. My work expresses the joy I feel at being back in the arms of Mother Nature with a paintbrush in hand.

Check out more on the artist website ciciporter.com, Facebook cici.groupe, and Instagram @theolcecil.

P.J. Eichten

I am a San Diego native, born and raised, and I bought a home in Oceanside two years ago with my wife. We love Oside and know it's the perfect town for us and we're proud to call it our home. I studied studio art in college and have continued to pursue various media, spray paint art being my favorite for the past couple years. I love graffiti as a public expression and often subversive art form.

agust O agustsson

Agust Agustsson: Image maker.

Echoes of the Future

I was born in Iceland, where art and literature have always played a strong part in our culture. Iceland’s powerful nature, stern Lutheran tradition, and ancient sagas permeated my experiences growing up.

“Echoes of the Future” is a photographic series that is informed by my early experiences which addresses cultural and economic issues. Images of abandoned, crumbling and burned husks of deserted buildings represent our current declining Western civilization. The framed vestiges of the past, preserved through art, are imposed upon these dilapidated walls; depictions of classical mythology, epic stories, religious firmaments, and the common, vibrant commerce of a past era. These warehouses and homes, scattered about the American landscape, were all once occupied by people who loved, worked, and created families. Against this abandoned stage, the fragments of our history litter the walls like graffiti, reminding us where we’ve been. As our present becomes history flowing into the past, how will our story be told? Which fragments will endure to echo into the future

Bob Boon

My name is Bob Boon. I have loved photography for the last forty years of my life. I am a rock n roll photographer by trade and hobby but am inspired by everything that surrounds me. When I recently went to France I was inspired by Monet's gardens at Giverny which then led me to imagine Monet walking around all of Paris, which led to this show. My greatest support comes from my lovely wife Kim and my amazing children who have stood still for my photographs for years and years and will continue to do so. Enjoy your walk with Monet.

Robert Piser

Robert Piser was born in Milford, Connecticut in 1952. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Piser was profoundly influenced by postwar middle class Americana and the burgeoning Pop Art movement. Piser’s earliest works were primarily realistic portrayals in colored pencil, watercolor and gouache, although he soon moved to creating “Sculptural Paintings.”

Piser developed “Sculptural Paintings” at California College of Arts and Crafts (later California College of the Arts). Required to study sculpture yet resisting tradition, his response was to paint three-dimensional volumes.

In the 1970s, Piser created his street-based art gallery, “The Daily Palette”, a collection of newspaper vending machines installed outside art venues around the San Francisco Bay Area. The machines were supplied weekly with silk-screened prints, which sold for 25 cents, or, as Piser put it, "Significant art works at popular prices." According to art blogger Matthew LeClair, “The idea of the vending machine as an alternative art gallery began in the 1970s with Robert Piser's Daily Palette.” LeClair writes, “Piser's work was significantly different from the Fluxus artists. The Fluxus artists vended work by single artists inside a gallery. For Piser, the vending machine was the gallery, selling work by a variety of artists in locations not typically associated with art, such as on street corners.”

According to Piser:

I was a young art student and was frustrated with the straight / closed gallery scene in the bay area and was just looking for a way to show my work and it was a cool way to do it. I was part of the bay area underground music and art scene of the late 70's and 80's. The Ant Farm, Survival Research Laboratories, Flipper, Dead Kennedy's, Cramps, etc. I taught lithography and silkscreen printing at Berkeley and was part of a group of alternative printers and artists who were involved with the "mail art" movement. (The Mac and email weren't designed yet). The machines were $55 and I had 8 of them at one time. The cost of the operation wasn't close to the money I got back at 25 cents a piece, but a quarter seemed like the best price someone would actually let go of at the time, besides, it wasn't the point really. It was the cheapest gallery in the world. People liked the concept and I showed all kinds of people's work, (too many), and people mostly stole more than they paid for. The UC Berkeley police actually confiscated some machines as they said they were on university property and I had to bail out the machines and I had a show accordingly at UC Berkeley art museum. Too many stories...I ran it for about 6 years...

Piser also studied art at Otis Art Institute and San Francisco Art Institute, and fine art lithography at U.C. Berkeley. Piser actively participated in the vibrant San Francisco/East Bay underground art scene, appearing in gallery and group shows, and co-founded the East Bay “Mail Art” movement.

Piser’s years of experience as an industrial printer fostered a deep appreciation of the art and science of fine art printing. During the pre-digital heyday of San Francisco Bay Area printing, he worked with notable printing houses (e.g., Foster & Kleiser, Mike Roberts Postcards, World Litho Co., etc.), creating everything from post cards and posters to billboards.

Jeff Comulada

In the tradition of his Italian ancestors, Jeff is an artisan who builds custom furniture from his fertile imagination. Born in Washington, DC, but raised in Los Angeles and schooled at UCLA, Jeff has been building and selling fine furniture since the 1990’s, first in Pasadena, then in Temecula and now in his new hometown, the avocado capital of the world, Fallbrook, California (and not incidentally, Jeff makes a mean guacamole).

Jeff’s furniture pieces range from the purely practical (tables of differing sizes and heights) to whimsical steampunk creations. He is currently crafting a writing desk with room for a computer and printer but what a desk this is! Using H.G. Wells’ time machine as a starting point, Jeff has added drawers, a map pull-out, a time travel lever, lights, knobs and all sorts of added timepieces to give the illusion of a time machine, complete with a steam locomotive front with a tube for discarded paper!

Unique, one-of-a-kind furniture is Jeff’s specialty. If you are looking for an unusual pub/game table or a kitchen island or a gardening bench, please give us a try. We use re-purposed wood and knobs and pulls whenever possible. Steampunk, antique reproductions, Craftsman and mid-century are all styles that Jeff works with and creates. If you have an item in mind, Jeff can probably build it for you.

Check out more at the artist website fallbrookfurniture.com.

Wesley White

Most people may find the art of WESLEY WHITE inspiring or too loud. But whatever your opinion, you must admit that it pops.

An Oceanside artist (b. 1986) via Laguna Beach, Calif.—the work of WHITE is recognizable for its wacky candy-like colors and “cute” subculture marked by POP art fetish, hip-hop, and street inspiration. Original pieces feature playful imagery like oversized eyes, cartoon Technicolor and contemporary characters marked by dark humor.

WHITE began honing his skills of sculpture and woodwork as a teen, but didn’t take up painting till his early 20s. Original pieces utilize acrylic and molding putty—drawing inspiration from leading edge artists Banksy and Tyler Warren. His travels to Spain, Ibiza and Costa Rica impacted his graffiti obsession. In his own words “My art is fun and LOUD with lots of bright colors. I love to make people smile and laugh, baby!”

Popular works include his Wu-Kitty, Spew (a spitting rainbow), and Jerry (Homer Simpson lookalike unicorn). Current collection on exhibit at BANANA DANG! is a retrospective of works from the past 10 years. When he is not in the ocean or walking his dog, WHITE can be found in his Oside studio painting to audible backdrops of Joy Division, the Smiths and Nicki Minaj.

John Martinez

John has been a stained glass artist for more than 20 years. He also is a stained glass painter who does restoration work. Johns is constantly learning new techniques from videos and other glass artists. On larger projects he works with Don Meyers Stained Glass in Oceanside. John also creates blazingly colorful abstract works of art on canvas, which are available in a multitude of sizes and is a highly skilled custom sandblasting artist as well. His canvas art has been displayed with the Phantom Gallery in Carlsbad, CA and also as entries in the Del Mar Fair.

Check out more at the artist websitewww.johnsstainedglass.com.

Stella Divina - Sarah Jo Antonucci

I handcraft luxury home décor products made from recycled, upcycled, and repurposed materials.

My coasters are created using recycled tiles, and an assortment of vintage advertising material and antique labels. The tiles are painted with abstract colors and designs to perfectly match the colors of the labels. I apply a mixed-media coating that makes the coasters waterproof, alcohol-proof, heat resistant to 200 degrees, and I add UV-protection to preserve the historic labels, so they will not yellow or fade over time. Finally my products come to life when the coasters are backed with high-quality, super-absorbent, 100% Portuguese cork.

Stella Divina coasters are a form of “functional art.” They are upscale home décor pieces, made with luxury quality materials, with a mixed-media composition of abstract painting and vintage designs. Each coaster is masterfully crafted to be durable enough for every day use.

I scour the country for unique vintage commercial advertising finds, such as Pre-Prohibition alcohol labels, vintage postcards, and antique citrus crate packing labels. When I find citrus crate packing labels, I scan them, digitally enhance them, fixing scratches, cracks, and rips, and size them to fit perfectly on the hand-painted, multicolored backgrounds of each tile.

My work is a mix of contemporary and modern art, blended with cultural, historical, and mass media references. Stella Divina pieces have been described as “Andy Warhol meets Martha Stewart,” because each piece has an artistic, pop-art element and colorful abstract backdrops, combined with a meticulous approach to product design and functionality.

By incorporating vintage advertising designs into my handcrafted coasters through a mixed-media approach, my home décor art pieces breathe life into historic objects and tell stories of America’s cultural past, helping to keep history alive in away that can be displayed and celebrated as part of daily life.

Check out more at the artist website stelladivina.com.

Elizabeth Keating

I make art because to me it feels like revealing a hidden world. I approach each piece with a question, “What’s next?” Line by line, color by color I map out a visionary landscape of an otherwise unexplainable world. I am inspired to create these drawings because I want to find out for myself what will turn out. Every piece is a response to that question.
Because the creation of these images is such a mystery to me, nothing gives me more joy than to see and hear the interpretations of others, to explore the meaning of the work anew with each person’s unique perception of it.

I am fascinated with ornamentation. To me, these patterns and designs are the language of the visionary world. I like to layer and twist them around one another to create a sense of three dimensionality among the single dimensional patterns. My work blends styles of ornamentation throughout time and culture. I like to incorporate delicate Victorian floral patterns with rhythmic Aztec geometric pattern, to depict ancient Hebrew symbolism in Peruvian electric pink and green.
My art mirrors my life taking each moment in one tiny detail at a time forging ahead with faith that the end result will be worth the effort. I hope that my drawings serve as an inspiration to their viewers to explore the unseen world, to let go of expectation, and to accept no limitations.

I have no formal training. My work has all been created over the past 2 years as a result of a spiritual transformation.

Cory Whitlock

I am always looking to find ways to share my love of surfing and surfboard making. My father Rusty Whitlock has been a professional surfboard shaper since 1963. He taught me how to surf and I went on to have a professional surfing career in the 90's. My younger brother Ricky has also had a professional surfing career and is now moving toward big wave surfing. In 1997 to further spread our family's love of surfing we started "The Whitlock Surf Experience" a surfing school that is dedicated to bringing our love of surfing to as many people as possible. Every year we teach hundreds of families how to surf and show them the art of surfboard making.

Carley Woods

Carley Woods is a senior at Classical Academy High School in Escondido, CA. Her focus is art and she will continue this field of study in college. Carley enjoys both oil and acrylic painting as well as drawing. She is also part of her High School’s water polo and swim team.

Carley approached the Education Department at Oceanside Museum of Art to help fulfill her senior project, a community undertaking in her field of study.

Be sure to visit Carley on the terrace at Oceanside Museum of Art and stay tuned for future projects! Past projects include: acrylic painting demonstration with fellow students; helping participants cut and design their own snow flakes using special wax paper; an art board for participants to creatively display their New Year’s resolutions; oil painting on mirror where participants took a selfie; creating a group mandala.

Rick Ortiz

I work at Biggs Harley-Davidson in San Marcos CA. I painted this piece simply named Semper Fi. Everyday we serve our Military Men and Women here at Biggs and every weekend they come in from there day of motorcycle riding and we serve them food, My family are very Military proud and it makes me feel good to see and serve these guys and girls, Basically because they get to see and do things us "normal" citizens do not, possibly even wouldn't/couldn't do. 2'x4' Acrylic on Wood panel. So I will be painting more Military related pieces in the Future.

Taylor Gallegos

Taylor Gallegos has been exhibited in solo and group shows in art galleries and businesses throughout the western United States and abroad. His work is in public and private collections from Hawai’i to Italy.

Taylor has always loved, created and studied art. He was born in Boulder, Colorado, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts with a double concentration in both Painting and Drawing from Colorado State University. To expand on his formal education and artistic practice, he went abroad in 2004 to study, paint and draw in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy. Since then he has lived and worked in the world of art practicing his craft in many different mediums and styles. Taylor now lives and makes art in Fallbrook, California, twenty minutes from the ocean that he visits often for fun, connection to the world and deep inspiration.

Check out more on the artist website taylorgallegos.com