I got hooked on fine art photography, the first night I spent in the darkroom printing my first black and white image.  It was like falling down a rabbit hole. There I was in Wonderland.

Photography is a medium that allows an artist nearly unlimited ways to express herself. I treasure the fact that I can make all kinds of images, many taken right from my imagination. The list includes blurry out-of-focus “street” images, staged doll scenarios, mysterious night shots, quiet observations of everyday life, digital composites and most recently, dreamy encaustic images. My work has evolved from the darkroom, to the computer and recently back to hands on play with alternative processes. Photography, for me, almost always involves an exploration, a journey on which I continue to explore my imagination and ideas. My most recent work is inspired by the magic and lore of fairy tales, the timeless stories that continue to fascinate.

I've been a printmaker for more than 22 years. My first prints were silkscreens. Today I specialize in multiple plate etchings. For the most part my etchings tell the story of my growing up in a Latino household. Today, I'm still telling that story and I also have time to work on a series of etchings on comical dogs. My web sites are: xavierviramontes.com & mesart.com/xviramontes

Every “Body” tells a story. My figurative works explore dreams, reflections, thoughts, and memories that translates into narrative depictions through the use of body language. Thematically my work is very much about how our body movements tell stories, through conscious and unconscious signals, typically with greater eloquence than what verbal communication allows. Whether depicting a single figure or through the juxtaposition and overlapping of multiple figures which appear at first glance to be abstract, each piece stimulates an engaging dialog with the viewer. I express and communicate an idea, emotion or thought using a common thread of assured and sensual lines creating artworks that are peaceful to joyful, sensual to sexual, alluring to provocative. I see particular beauty in the strength and sensuality of the human form. Drawing regularly from live models allows me to depict the beauty of anatomy, proportion, balance and movement. The traditional methodology, however, produces works that are completely contemporary.

Artist

Born in New Zealand, Linda is a long-time Bay Area resident, inspired by California's cultural and geographical diversity. The San Francisco Bay is her favorite subject: she observes and sketches the daily ship traffic, bridges, freeways, cranes, sunrises, sunsets, fogs, moon rises, tides, seagulls - and the occasional cruise ship and America's Cup boat. She distills her experiences into paintings, prints and objects that explore the constatly-shifting nature and restlessness of the Bay and its denizens.

I paint like a jazz musician improvises. Starting from the roots and a strong foundation, I branch out and make it my own.
From Abstract to Expressionistic, I like to push the envelope with bold, gestural brushstrokes and compelling colors. Whether I’m painting the figure, landscape or a still-life, I look for abstract shapes, stripping away the non-essentials to give a loose interpretation of form and movement, a strong interpretation of feeling and expression.
I paint in the moment.
If I start out with a plan, it most likely will change. If I stick to a plan, it will most likely fail. I let the canvas tell me where it wants to go.
I’ve been told that my loose and exuberant brushwork and lively pallet is reminiscent of the Bay Area Figurative Movement, yet that my work contains a freshness and sincerity that is all my own.