“I have always been profoundly interested in the unseen aspects of life, reading about metaphysics, meditating, becoming fascinated by how abstract art expresses what can’t be understood by the eyes and mind yet can be clearly felt. I am attracted to spheres because they are nature’s most efficient shape (requiring the least amount of structure to enclose the greatest possible volume) - their elegance conjuring entities as massive as planets all the way down to the shape of sub-atomic particles, encompassing the notion of completion, universal truth and wholeness.” 

Born in Switzerland, Monika Steiner currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area where she received her BFA degree from Sonoma State University. Her work has been shown nationally and internationally in galleries, museums, and public exhibitions.

Combining the symbol and death decay with young adulthood is the subject of my expression. It is a dangerous and unbalanced mixture.  This project title named “Woman-like Young woman”.  I continue to search for image which will truly convey this tension.

my bolg address:  takeoino.blogspot.com

My work began with mixed media creations: fiber arts, mosaic tiled work, metal sculpture, and jewelry. As my art turned to painting, I evolved towards the abstract expressionism you see today. My innovative, whimsical, playful style blends the tactile depth of sculpture (using paint or wall plaster) with the rich tones of acrylics, oils, and gold leaf. Growing up in a large Italian family, my fine art and written words are influenced by the passion and expression of my heritage. I thrive on culture, fine cuisine, and travel, having spent time exploring more than 20 countries from Europe, the Caribbean and Central and South America to all parts of the US.  My heart sings the loudest in the Italian, French, and Spanish sunshine.

“Adventure lies not in the places we seek, but in the moments we create in the places we treasure.” –RMC

I love to explore with paint, drawings, and collage in a mixed media way, usually inspired by the figure and everyday life.  Using collected ephemera, old and new, along with figure drawings, water media, or oil paint, stirred up in a mixed media, until it works for me.  I'm influenced by expressionism and surrealism, landing somewhere between realism and abstraction.  Texture, hand of the artist, color, and mysterey interest me.

I hope the viewer engages their imagination while looking at my paintings.

Currently my paintings are exhibited in the Los Gatos Museums Gallery, andThe CottonWorks

 in Los Gatos Calif. 

As a young boy I was a collector  of many things. I had a bug collection, a stamp collection and a rock collection. Then when I was older I started collecting sad feelings and unhappy thoughts. Now I can see in my art that I am a collector of spirits. Not having academic training I rely on my intuition when taking photos for my painting and that part of not knowing keeps me looking. 

Michael Murphy is an American artist and architect from San Francisco, where he practiced architecture for approximately six years before moving to London, UK. The experience of living abroad for ten years was instrumental in the formation of his current aesthetic tastes as well as the profound re-appreciation of San Francisco’s architecture upon his return in 2008. 

It is because of these renewed impressions of San Francisco that he created the series "Forgotten Modernism" which is the title of a visual exploration of San Francisco's rich catalogue of modern architecture.   Often overlooked, Modern architecture in San Francisco has played an important role in the ongoing Modernist Movement, and this work is an attempt to acknowledge the contribution that these stunning buildings make to the visual landscape.   Using bold colors and a stylized graphics, he portrays this architecture not as something that quietly blends into a background, but rather elevating achievements that embody the best and highest principles that Modern architecture has to offer all of us.

Recently, he has expanded his subject matter to include the architecture of cities outside of San Francisco, as well as his most recent work, an attempt to capture the essence of San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art and it’s surrounding context of 20^th Century architecture.

Michael has exhibited his work in London, Amsterdam, Valencia, Tokyo and within the US in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Painting affords me the opportunity to express my observations of the world around me. My artistic endeavors focus on a personal interpretation of the relationships I see created by subjects in their immediate environment. The content of my work incorporates primarily still life, people and nature. The visual exchanges created by a vase on a shelf in the morning sun, a Japanese maple leaf outside my door or an old man sitting beside a building in Greece can be the inspiration. I am drawn to the challenge of capturing the fleeting moment and reinterpreting it to the best of my abilities. Painting then becomes an entity unto itself. Forming my own image within the dictates of a two dimensional format, such as watercolor, presents many issues to consider- color, form, rhythm, texture and light maintain an integral part of the interplay. Every painting presents individual complexities. My intent is that the resulting piece will be a unique extension of my vision and efforts.