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Featured Artist ||| Jessica Fortner (Toronto, Canada) 

Here are few favorites from the 2013 artMrkt at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. I was surprised to see so many of these great galleries were based right here in San Francisco. Here are the artists and galleries from left to right, top to bottom.

1. Hyon Gyon Park, Shin Gallery (New York, CA)
2. Taro Hattori, Swarm Gallery (Oakland, CA)
3. Joel Daniel Phillips, Spoke Art Gallery (San Francisco, CA)
4. Jess Hess, Spoke Art Gallery (San Francisco, CA)
5. Andy Diaz Hope and Laurel Roth, Catharine Clark Gallery (San Francisco, CA)
6. Laurina Paperina, Fouladi Projects (San Francisco, CA)
7. David Mach, Forum Gallery (New York, NY)
8. Todd Hildo, Stephen Wirtz Gallery (San Francisco, CA)

Featured Artist ||| Chloe Edwards (Bowling Green, KY)

This week’s featured artist is Chloe Edwards. She holds the title as the youngest artist to be featured on Paint Pens in Purses. As I am about to turn thirty, the mantra that age doesn’t matter, is sounding better and better. However, I mention her age because this young lady, who is only nineteen years old, is extremely productive! She has a wide array of prints, a style of her own, and great characters. 

She is inspired by the anatomy of animals, horns, and fur. She incorporates vivid colors and line patterns with watercolor to create a cartoon and dream like quality to her creations.

Her future projects include some large scale collage pieces, involving wheat pasting, and a portrait watercolor series. Chloe Lee Edwards was born in Bakersfield CA, and was raised across the country, from Maryland to Bowling Green, KY. To see more of her work check out her website and her online store. 

 Article written by: Shayna Yasuhara

San Francisco Friends! Paint Pens in Purses will be at Artmrkt San Francisco Art Fair and ArtPadSF this weekend to check out all the galleries in town for the busy art weekend! Write up to follow…

My work uses science and mass media as metaphor for our emotions about the inner chaos of our world. I aim to reflect the isolation of those who may be ignored or shy but still want to be seen. The beauty is there, waiting for be discovered, but we don’t see it because we cannot shed our prejudices.

The Mission Spring Open Studio - Highlights

Over the weekend I went to check out The Mission Wide Open Studios. This event, which is organized by the Mission Artist United group, is quite an endeavor. With approximately ten major art studio buildings, each made up of lots of stairs and rooms, and easily over a hundred artists on the participation list, it’s hard to be sure you’ve seen it all. 

I took the challenge and came back with a handful of postcards, and a list of a few of my favorites, to share with you nice people. From top left to right: Liz Hickok’s jello city series, Denise Laws’ hair collages, Meredith Hudson of Clandestine Press, large-scale paintings by Kellen Breen, the intricate & surreal worlds of Michael Kerbow, drawings by Sarah Newton, painting and taxidermy by Michael McConnell of ArtFarmSF, and paintings by Paul Morin.

Kelly Rose Dancer is a pet portrait artist by day and a fine artists/puppeteer by night. We first fell in love with her Meme Cat portrait series and are thrilled to be the very first to share her newest series. Her newest collection of work, ”Pet-rifying Cults”, was inspired by Kelly’s interest in cult films and includes some of her favorite characters.

You can catch Kelly Rose Dancer at the Oakland Internet Cat Festival on May 11. You can also see more of her work, or commission her to draw your lovely furry friends through her website or on Facebook. 

Did you guess all the characters? Left to right: Big Lebowski, Barbarella,  Clockwork Orange, Bladerunner, Death Race 2000, Eraserhead, Gray Gardens, Faster, Pussy Cat! Kill! Kill!, Rocky Horror Picture Show, & Pink Flamingos

Featured Artist ||| Chrissy Angliker (Switzerland/ New York) 

Chrissy Angliker is a talented painter who’s art is absolutely dreamlike. It first reminded me of one of those dreams where everything starts all nice. A wonderful summer vacation, then somewhere along the way you start feeling uneasy. Like perhaps the beach is too crowded. Then before you know it the dream swirls off in some surreal direction. Chrissy’ work captures this transition. She writes,”the theme of this series arose from the feeling of life itself being a balance between control and chaos.  As people, we have intentions, but must anticipate the intervention of outside forces beyond our power.”  

Chrissy’s work has recently been featured in Nylon Magazine, Raw Art Fair in Rotterdam, Burton Snowboards, and even on the cover of Wired Magazine which accompanied an article on the strange and chaotic Internet collective known as Anonymous. To read more and see more amazing artwork visit Chrissy Angliker’s website. 

Bio: Chrissy Angliker was born in Zurich, Switzerland. Her artistic inclinations emerged at an early age, as she experimented with stone, clay, and found objects among other materials. In 2002, Chrissy had her first solo show at Gallery Juri in Winterthur, Switzerland.  Seeking to broaden her means of expression, she then pursued a degree in Industrial Design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. After spending her post-graduate years working in the design field, Chrissy’s creative expression shifted back to painting in 2008. Chrissy’s  art is focused on visually translating her perception of herself in relationship to the world.

Featured Artist ||| Jennifer Parks (Portland, OR) 

Part 2 - Art Explosion Open Studios

Here are a couple more photos from the Art Explosion Open Studios. Today I visited the 2427 17th St location which is one floor packed with artists. Here are a couple pictures from resident artists: Ytaelena Lopez, Marina Loeb, Tim Svenonius, Georgianne Fastaia, and Simon Cox.