Reflections of an Artist

Gallery Row, Part Two

Gallery Row, Part Two
 
    Yesterday’s blog gave you a little taste of what can be found in the galleries on Gallery Row on Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles.  Today I’ll take you into the second gallery I entered.

    The Hive Gallery and Studios is a combination gallery and work studios for artists.  It had an edgy quality, with fantasy and nightmare images.  Many of the artists had an illustrator’s handling of their subjects.  And the subjects were whimsical fairy tales, monsters, frogs, elves, dreamscapes, and all manner of unimaginable creatures.  But I guess they were imagined, because their they were right there on the walls.

    As you entered the gallery, the featured artist was Michelle Mia Araujo, who takes you on a trip of well known fairy tale characters painted in a very novel way.  I am not usually a fan of big-eyed, forlorn little girls, but her storytelling abilities are masterful.  Her presentation with old books, leaves and pieces of wood, bark and all, adds to the show and makes her display a real experience.  Other gallery goers must have loved the experience too, since every piece was sold.  

  
The Snow Queen by Michelle Mia Araujo  Wandering Belle by Catherine Brooks

    Catherine Brooks, an artist who creates fantasy works of intense beauty, had only a few choice pieces exhibited.   Nymphs accompanied by wonderful creatures set in a world of danger, all told their stories, but for me, Wondering Belle stood out.  The swirling birds and barren trees of the background look as if they are ready to attack, but she and her furry white companion appear self-assured, almost defiant.  

    After leaving Gallery Row, my husband and I had dinner at Engine House No. 28 on Figueroa Street.  It is one of our favorite restaurants to visit before attending a play at the Ahmanson or concert at Disney Hall.  After dinner we hopped on the subway to North Hollywood and home.  Wow!  What a great night of art.