Come celebrate life! Our 6th Annual Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) Show --- on view October 9 - November 7, 2010

Check out our 6th Annual Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibit and celebration!

View and purchase the original artwork of more than 40 artists. For purchase info, contact Sandra at 323.256.6117 or semastroianni70@yahoo.com.

Cactus Gallery offers LAYAWAY, so reserve your favorite piece today and pick up before the holidays!


"Fantasma" - Chatismo - Mixed media - AVAILABLE


"Chakras 5" - GS Khalsa - Mixed media - AVAILABLE



"Destino" - Shea Dunn - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE



"Build Me a Here a Church" - Celia Casarez - Acrylic on wood - AVAILABLE


"El valiente" - Celia Casarez - Acrylic on wood - AVAILABLE


"Make Hula" - Jessica Kreig Hendron - 6"x12"- Acrylic on canvas - SOLD



"Make Ole Kane"- Jessica Kreig Hendron - 5"x5" - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Make Ole Wahine" - Jessica Kreig Hendron - 5"x5" - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"L.A. Forever" Series - Ivan Godinez - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Buenos dias" - Jason Mracky - Photograph 2/50 - AVAILABLE


"87" - Douglas Alvarez - Acrylic on wood - AVAILABLE



"Luck to Ye Who Travel the Sea" - Terri Tooter Berman - Mixed media on wood - AVAILABLE


"Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep"- Mavis Leahy - Textile collage - AVAILABLE


"Frida y Diego" - Liane Shih - Mixed media - SOLD


"Skuella" - Kelly Thompson - Mixed media on wood - AVAILABLE


"Enlightened" - Christine Benjamin - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE



"Country Cook" - Jamie Lord - Mixed media - AVAILABLE


"Smoking Lady with Cat" - Jamie Lord - Mixed media - AVAILABLE



"Innocence" - Jasper Thomas - Watercolor, Japanese ink, various pens on paper - AVAILABLE


"Blue Mask" - Sandi Sharp - Ceramic - SOLD


"Icy Fresh Shredder" - Barry Barnes - Silkscreen 18/65 - AVAILABLE


"Oya - la diosa de los muertos" - Guadulesa - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Gato Flask" - Kit Cameo - AVAILABLE


"Sugar Skull Flasks" - Kit Cameo - AVAILABLE


"Gato Mirón II" - Kit Cameo - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Death Cut Out" - Jasper Thomas - Watercolor, Japanese ink, various pen on illustration board - AVAILABLE


"Venus Christ, Super Star Market Parking Lot" - Snow Mack - Oil on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Los ojos" (The Eyes) - Angela Maria Ortiz S. - Oil pastel on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Thinking Hard" - Andrea Monroe - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Thoughtless" - Andrea Monroe - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE


"Vincent" - Ashley Fisher - Gouache, pen on paper - SOLD


"Stardust" - Holly Wood - Acrylic/gouache on panel - AVAILABLE


"Past Relections" - Shea Dunn - Acrylic on canvas - SOLD


"Restless in Plight" - Pablo Ramos - Ink on paper - AVAILABLE


"Never Let Them See You Cry" - Michael Foley - Acrylic on wood - AVAILABLE

"Girl on Blue" - Daisy Church - Paper cut-out - SOLD


"In My Heart" - GS Khalsa - Mixed media - AVAILABLE


"Mictlantecuhtli" - Joanna Barnum - Watercolor, pen, ink - AVAILABLE


"Skull Stack" - Jinx - Acrylic on canvas - SOLD


"Dissection" - Jasper Thomas - Gouache, pens on mahogany wood - AVAILABLE



"Gato Mirón" - Kit Cameo - Acrylic on canvas - SOLD



"Rosa Santísima" - Christopher Umana - Spray paint, acrylic, and Indian ink on wood in an antique frame - 13"x16"(framed) - AVAILABLE

Umana revisits his Coraline Corset Girl series and creates a Day of the Dead version of a magpie named Rose. Umana says... My home is constantly surrounded by them, and the superstitions related to them and death proved to be a worthy subject matter for this piece. In Hispanic culture, La Santísima Muerte is generally portrayed as a figure who resembles the Virgin Mary but with a skull instead of a female face. Her veil and attire is also adorned colorfully and with jewlery and flowers. I reinterpreted this with the intricacy of a corset, and the shape of her head to mimic a veil.


"Señorita con perrita" - Nicole Bruckman - Acrylic on board - SOLD



"Spirit" - Lacey Bryant - Oil on wood - SOLD



"Book of the Dead" - Andrea Monroe - Acrylic on canvas - AVAILABLE



"Bendecir a los niños" - Darryl Blood - Pen, ink, acrylic on paper - SOLD


Join us for our 6th Annual Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibit and celebration!

View and purchase the original artwork of more than 40 artists.

Bring photographs and offerings for our altar, built and decorated this year by the lovely Leticia Castañeda.

Hear the sounds of DJ Cheebo.

"Essential Tools for the Modern Woman" - New works by Kelly Thompson

for Jen X - AVAILABLE



Julie Peasley - AVAILABLE


Demi Bra - SOLD


For Terri Tooter Berman - SOLD


Robin - SOLD





"Essential Tools for the Modern Woman" - an exhibit of new work by
Kelly Thompson

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 7p-10p

Exhibition Dates: September 11, 2010 through October 5, 2010
Gallery hours: Wed - Sun: 12pm – 6pm, Mon – Tue: By appt. only

Cactus Gallery is pleased to present, "Essential Tools for the Modern Woman," a solo exhibition of new work by Kelly Thompson.

"Essential Tools for the Modern Woman" was inspired by a 6' x 3' eyelash curler painted in 2001. Always a favorite piece of Cactus Gallery owner Sandra Mastroianni, it was chosen as a signature piece and launched the theme of the exhibition. On November 11, 2009, Kelly surveyed 21 modern women asking them her own burning question, "What is your essential tool?"

In this selection of paintings Kelly has merged two dominant yet distinctly different styles while continuing to explore her roots in graphic design and her compulsions for experimentation and imperfection. Using her favorite mediums, acrylic, oil, concrete, resin and spray paint she continues to use her familiar color palate and signature circle image. In keeping with her focus on process, she will also be using recycled and rebuilt surfaces for this series.


Artist Statement:
Embarking on this project has been both a challenge and honor. A challenge to try and include a small piece of each person in their tool as I paint it, and an honor that these women are wiling to join me in this great collaboration. My idea for these pieces is simply to paint “things” that women use. I was not interested in making a political, historical or social statement with this work but just to explore what tools are available and favored by women in 2010.

Of course surveying strong, educated and confident modern women the results were not just objects. Most were light hearted tools that we use everyday, and then there were the more serious tools in the form of woman's issues. Subjects such as equal rights, civil rights, freedom, discrimination and education.

Usually trying to stay on the lighter side of things, I had to make a conscious decision whether to include these political, social issues or not. I concluded that in order to be true to the women who participated in the survey I truly need to do both. The images are still in keeping with my original idea of a simple, minimal body of work. Thank you again to you wonderful women who joined me in this journey.


Biography:
Kelly Thompson was born in Gary, Indiana relocating to Chicago in the early 80ʼs. There she worked as a graphic designer until 1990 and also attended classes at the American Academy of Art. Moving cross country to Los Angeles she decided to take a more hands on approach to her art and career by joining I.A.T.S.E. Local 729 set painter and sign writers union. She has worked on numerous feature films and television series. All the while, continuing to create her own work exhibiting and selling in the traditional Chicago style “Apartment Gallery” shows. In 1999, she began representation with M.J. Higgins Fine Art and then shortly thereafter joined the Cactus Gallery line up. Since then she has been featured artist, as well as a participant in many group shows in Los Angeles, Orange County and New York Galleries as well as local Museums and Educational Institutions.