 On a personal note, participating this woman artist exhibition at Whitney Modern in Los Gatos was one of the most impacting and honoring experiences of my artistic career. Not only was I humbled to be one of only 36 artists selected to exhibit out of over 600 applicants nationwide, the talent and powerful messages behind the artwork was exceptional! I was among great company at the opening reception, meeting art professors and artists with notable reputations from all over the country who traveled to attend at the opening. We each got to briefly speak about our artwork (see video below). Another exciting part of the experience was getting to work with the hardworking and talented curators Suzanne and Karen. They personally invited me to feature two of my figure paintings BURNING WOMAN & MILLENNIAL WOMAN as the featured gallery window front pieces to draw in clients from the high end downtown location in Los Gatos. Thank you to Whitney Modern and all of the talented woman artists who participated! Exhibition ends September 9th, 2018. Don't miss it! EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION:
Whitney Modern, in collaboration with Gutfreund Cornett Art, presents Rise: Empower, Change, Action! This open juried exhibition features selected works by thirty-six artists from locations around the country. RISE: Empower, Change and Action! brings artists into dialogue and brings forth what is important to self, community, our nation and the world at large through art that reflects on, addresses and seeks solutions for a more positive, empowering future, particularly for self-identified women and girls as well as their families. It is underpinned by the feminist principle that believes in political, economic and social equality for all. RISE emphasizes the commonalities of our human experience. Join the conversation and see paintings, sculpture, printmaking, photography, collage and installations that speak for equality, independence and human rights while offering insight, healing and transformation.
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I was honored to not only be selected to be personally invited and selected to participate in the exhibition "Pose" but also was humbled to have been awarded fourth place and Honorable Mention! So many talented artists participated in this exhibition, I feel very thankful to have been recognized and have received such a positive professional art critic review. Curator Review: Burning Woman The wonderfully exaggerated figures and use of perspective in this piece by artist Dana Richardson, is highly expressive. Her use of vibrant reds, oranges and blues with hints of green, heightens the emotion of the scene and a passionate clarity can be felt. This bold yet delicate and thoughtful painting, inspires introspection and elevates a familiar genre in a fresh and fearless manner. - E.E. Jacks My figure painting "Burning Woman" was also selected in the upcoming exhibition at the world renowned Whitney Modern Museum, RISE: Empower, Change and Action! Subscribe to get invited to the opening reception of RISE in Los Gatos, CA.  BY GEORGIA JOHNSON
POSTED ON MAY 1, 2018 There’s been no shortage of excitement recently for filmmakers Dana Richardson and Sarah Zentz. Between close calls with drug lords while filming in Mexico and evacuating their home in Big Sur, the duo has plenty of stories to tell. Zentz and Richardson collaborate on documentary short and feature films. Their most recent feature film, Goshen, is about the indigenous Tarahumara running tribe in Mexico’s Copper Canyons, and is currently in rotation on PBS. The making of Goshen was scary to say the least, since the Copper Canyons have the highest mortality rate in all of Mexico due to drug cartel activity. “There are no paved roads or access, so it’s a great hiding place for narcos to have opium fields,” Richardson says. “We actually got left there and were pretty fearful for our lives. It was kind of a traumatizing experience.” Though they are by no means done with filmmaking, they recently started focusing on running independent art businesses. Richardson is an oil painter who focuses on expressionist female portraits and landscapes. Zentz is a jeweler who works with reclaimed redwood, sustainable abalone and Fairmined precious metals to create stunning one-of-a-kind earrings and necklaces. Their cabin in Big Sur was completely off the grid and supplemented by a generator, sporadic wifi, and hoop house gardens. It was the perfect haven for creative thinking and artistic expression, and while editing films was difficult with limited internet, they say the views alone made it worthwhile. “It was like being in a little heaven. We were able to block off the world,” Richardson says. “You wake up and there is no connection to anything but nature. For an artist, you want to be constantly inspired and shut everything out, and for us that was it.” It was all very romantic, with 180-degree ocean views, an outdoor deck and 200 acres of perfect land, and they thought their nightmarish days were behind them. Then the land, and their driveway, began to slide down the hill. Last May, over a million tons of rock and dirt shifted and slid down the mountain, took out Highway 1, and slid into the ocean. The Mud Creek Landslide was one of California’s largest landslides ever, and Richardson and Zentz had a front row seat leading up to it. “I remember there were giant boulders falling into the road. We could hear them at night and I was just thinking ‘please don’t bash into the car or house,’” Zentz says. “There were a couple really big ones that fell into the driveway, so we were trapped up there for a couple of weeks.” Luckily, with the help of a few ranchers they were able to evacuate before the landslide. They returned to clear out their belongings and beehive only weeks before the landslide. They were renting the cabin, which they later learned was unpermitted. Though the slide didn’t take out the cabin, Richardson says that CALTRANS anticipates it won’t last longer than a year since the land is still moving and shifting. Despite the odds, they say their landlord is still hoping to attract new renters with a disclaimer “not for the faint of heart” in the ad. “By the end, we were pretty over it,” Richardson says, laughing. They moved to Santa Cruz six months later; now they have reliable internet, and the grocery store isn’t an hour and a half away. They are the new kids in the Santa Cruz art scene, and are quickly finding how passionate the arts community is, and that people aren’t particularly fond of off-leash dogs. “It’s a strange thing to be in civilization again,” Zentz says, adding their dog has never been on a leash before, ever. While they both value nature, working outdoors and traveling, they agree that they are different in many ways. “I’m detail oriented and she is more big picture, I’m neat and she’s … uh … expressive,” Zentz says. “We bring polar opposite ideas to the table a lot, and overall that dynamic ends up working for us in filmmaking,” Richardson says. “That’s where we come alive, going out and telling stories together.” When it comes to painting or crafting, they say, it’s best they keep their art separate. “I tried to help her make jewelry once, and I got fired the first day,” Richardson admits. “She sanded the entire side off,” Zentz says. Both work with sustainable materials in their art. Richardson uses natural paint pigments and oils, and Zentz recently became a Fairmined licensee, meaning that she only buys and sells sustainably sourced gold and silver. A standard 18-karat wedding band leaves behind 20 tons of ore and waste rock, according to Earthworks, a “No Dirty Gold” mining watchdog group. Though using sustainable materials isn’t always easy—it often ends up costing more and isn’t necessarily cosmetically better—both Zentz and Richardson say it feels like the right thing to do. The two are currently showing and selling their work at Artisans Gallery, where Richardson was the featured artist last month. While they are planning on making another feature film sometime in the near future, for now Santa Cruz is the new home base for some much needed R&R. “It’s the perfect community for us. There are so many people that are artist advocates and supporters and are environmentally concerned,” Richardson says. “It has nature and wild space with a great arts community. It’s where we want to be.” For more information about Zentz and Richardson, visit sarahzentzjewelry.com and danarichardsonartist.com.  By Justine DaCosta, Santa Cruz Sentinel
SANTA CRUZ >> Local artist Dana Richardson will celebrate her first Santa Cruz art exhibit with an April 6 launch at Artisans Gallery, where her work will be displayed through the end of the month. Richardson’s work features female figure paintings as well as landscape painting of Big Sur and Santa Cruz. Richardson’s Big Sur property was irreparably damaged in the natural disaster, prompting her to relocate north to Santa Cruz and influencing her work as an artist. See full article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/article/NE/20180404/FEATURES/180409862  I was honored to be invited to exhibit my empowering woman figure painting "City Sprawl" at Coos Art Museum in their show titled Expressions West. The show focuses on representing diverse works from the best artists based in the western United States. This April 27th- June 30th, 2018 my art will be available for viewing and purchase. If you are in passing through the Pacific North West this summer please stop in and check it out!
 I am excited to have been invited to exhibit my art at the popular and long established downtown gallery in Santa Cruz, California, Artisans Gallery. As part of the First Fridays Santa Cruz art walk on April 6th, 2018 from 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm I will be attending the opening night reception. Please drop in to casually discuss art and taste wine generously offered by Soquel Vineyards. My art being shown features iconic California Landscape paintings and vibrant strong women portraits.
My CALIFORNIA NATURAL DISASTER painting collection was conceived and executed after the largest landslide in California history.
In May 2017, the Mud Creek Landslide fell within several hundred feet of my home in Big Sur, California. This body of work reflects how this natural disaster directly impacted my life. My home was located in such close proximity to this landslide I was forced to evacuate and relocate my life permanently. This body of oil paintings contemplates the idea of home, stability and the fragility of manmade infrastructures amidst changing landscapes. Most importantly, this experience has brought my attention to the thousands of people worldwide who have lost their lives or homes due to the impacts of natural disasters. My desire is for my abstract landscape paintings to serve as reminders for all of humanity to help innovate solutions for climate change and demonstrate compassion towards natural disaster victims. I am donating 15% of the proceeds of each oil painting I sell towards international disaster relief. Video Credit: Brian Mack, Aerial Video of Mud Creek Landslide Jon Luc Hefferman "A Storm At Eilean Mor," Music (CC) Sarah Zentz, Videographer & Editor  Three of my newest oil paintings will be on display at Discover Emerging Artists Showcase in Laguna Beach, California from October 5-November 1. I was selected to be the Featured Artist for the month of October. The opening reception is on October 5th, 2017 and part of the Laguna Beach First Thursday's Art Walk from 6:00 - 9:00 PM.
1400 S. Coast Highway Suite 101 Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Gallery Hours: Thursday & Sunday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST Friday & Saturday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM PST Open Mondays- Wednesday by appointment only. Artist Statement: Dana Richardson (b. 1985, California) earned a BFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Richardson's oil paintings portray female figures as larger than life, erupting from amidst the cityscape, expressing women's strength and ability to rise above circumstances.  "City Sprawl" Oils on Canvas 24''x36''My abstract figure painting "City Sprawl" is now on exhibit at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art this May 19th-July 2nd. Exhibition juror David Limrite selected only 53 paintings from 241 images submitted. He wrote, “I chose work that, for me, best represents mature and accomplished expressions of creativity, art making and mastery of the chosen medium."
I am excited to be part of this exhibition and look forward to seeing you all at the opening reception! The concept of my body of work of abstract cityscape figure paintings expresses the concept of the a woman's strength position to rise above obstacles and her demand to be heard and seen in contemporary society. The revival of sustainable practices and the "Green" movement has also brought about a movement in the contemporary art scene. Ethical Fashion, Ethical Jewelry, Sustainable Design and Eco Art are among the popular categories of trending and growing sustainable art industries. However, eco art is a broadly used term and often defined by the integration of conceptual ideas of environmental issues in art alone, leaving out the consideration of materials. I am proud to share that as an Eco Artist my studio practices consist of using REACH certified non-toxic artist paints, hand mixed for each painting. REACH is a regulation of the European Union (ECHA) adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry. REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. See below for examples of my available oil paintings made with 100% non-toxic pigments and binders.  California Quail, Landscape Painting, Original, State Bird, Oil Painting, California, Animal Painting, 11''x14''
$700.00
$300.00
CALIFORNIA QUAIL State Bird Oil Painting This is an original oil painting, animal art, bird painting titled "Quail Couple." The California Valley Quail is California's state bird. They are highly sociable birds and are often seen foraging as a couple. "I always enjoy watching these adorable birds daily from my studio as they forage below the giant eucalyptus trees in the California wilderness." -Dana Richardson Made by Dana Richardson in Big Sur, California, USA. Dana Richardson (b. 1985) is an award winning artist, painter, and filmmaker born and raised in California. Currently, she lives and works in an off-the-grid art studio where the redwood forest and mountains meet the pacific ocean in Big Sur, California. Dana’s environmentally conscious oil paints and watercolors are made using ancient artisan techniques. Dana's oil paints are handmade with ethically sourced Earth Pigments from California and the Societe des Ocres de France. Her watercolors paintings incorporate the use of handmade, plant-based inks and dyes. Dana chooses to abstain from using commercial artist paints from a "tube" which contain cancerous VOC’s and hazardous chemicals. Additionally, Richardson's handmade paints resonate richer, more natural colors. Shipped in a rigid cardboard mailer. Estimated shipping times: North America: 3-5 business days I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but cannot guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose. Customs and import taxes Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs. *Local buyers residing in California may be eligible for a discounted checkout price. "McWay Big Sur Waterfall" Giclée on Canvas, Landscape, 11''x14''
$400.00
$125.00
California Landscape McWay Falls
An original oil painting inspired by the world famous McWay Waterfall in Big Sur, CA. Located at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park this scenic location is site to the tallest waterfall that lands in the Pacific Ocean. My approach to painting is fluid, spiritual and imagination driven. As a painter I seek to capture the experiential sensation of a place and time rather than a photo realistic image. Each of my paintings has a unique story, designed to inspire conversations in the space it adorns. CANVAS SIZE: 11x14 Giclée on stretched canvas frame with white side wrap, 11x14 Canvas. Giclée printing is a process that uses fade-resistant, archival inks and archival substrates to print on large format printers. Giclée printing is often used by artists to make reproductions of their original two-dimensional artwork, photographs or computer-generated art for resale while preserving the original. The original painting SOLD, an oil paints made with Earth Pigments and organic walnut oil binder. All my oil paintings are uniquely, light safe, non-toxic and organic! Free of toxic, VOC paints. Painted with organic, non-toxic, earth pigment, oil paints that are handmade in Big Sur, CA. Signed and made by Dana Richardson in Big Sur, California, USA. Dana Richardson (b. 1985) is an award winning artist, painter, and filmmaker born and raised in California. Currently, she lives and works in an off-the-grid art studio where the redwood forest and mountains meet the pacific ocean in Big Sur, California. Dana’s environmentally conscious oil paints and watercolors are made using ancient artisan techniques. Dana's oil paints are handmade with ethically sourced Earth Pigments from California and the Societe des Ocres de France. Her watercolors paintings incorporate the use of handmade, plant-based inks and dyes. Dana chooses to abstain from using commercial artist paints from a "tube" which contain cancerous VOC’s and hazardous chemicals. Additionally, Richardson's handmade paints resonate richer, more natural colors. FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE: Shipped in a rigid cardboard mailer. Estimated shipping times: North America: 3-5 business days I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but cannot guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose. Customs and import taxes Buyers are responsible for any customs and import taxes that may apply. I'm not responsible for delays due to customs. *Local buyers residing in California may be eligible for a discounted checkout price. |
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