Anatomy of a Somnambulist 12” x 16” Acrylic on wood

Snow White’s Sonata 12” x 16” Acrylic on wood

To start 2009, let me introduce to you the work of artist Michelle Araujo (aka Mia) from the ‘breadbasket’ of pop surrealism, LA. Mia’s philosophy comes from an eastern philosophy that is utterly intriguing; seeing each individual containing an entire universe within themselves. She then strives to depict this in her paintings as each brilliantly crafted piece manifests into personal portraits that represent all the unseen forces at work within the subject, be it spirits, inner demons, conflicting emotions etc etc.

Her works draw heavily upon children’s stories, characters with fantastically imaginative narratives that depict the qualities that make people unique. She’s influenced by Tim Burton, Walt Disney, Miyazaki, Kay Nielsen, Klimt, fairytales, performance art, vintage photography, music, literature, animation, silent cinema and world cultures.

Take a peek at a few of our favorite pieces from this rising star after the jump, or the links below. Enjoy.

• her art site;
• her blog;
• her flickr gallery;
• her illustration site.

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Pop Surrealist David Stoupakis who is featured in Gestalten’s recent release The Upset: Young Contemporary Art has a talent for transforming the supernatural and macabre into dramatic narratives. A delicate balance of childhood innocence and haunting imagery, this series of oil-on-panel paintings and graphite drawings recounts grim fairytales of the decadent and demure.

Marking a new direction for the artist, Stoupakis employs a brighter color palette than before and will unveil his largest piece to date for the exhibition. The reception for These Predicaments takes place on Saturday, December 13, and the evening will include music scored by composer Geoff Gersh. Open to the public, the exhibition will be on view until December 31, 2008.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Born in Brighton, Massachusetts in 1974, David Stoupakis was diagnosed with a learning disability and encouraged to develop his artistic side as a child. The subject of many teacher-parent meetings, his “gloomy” drawings would later become his signature style of painting. Stoupakis’ images have appeared as cover art for the bands Korn and Haloburn and have been featured in numerous publications including Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose and Devolution as well as books such as Gothic Art Now and The Upset. Galleries throughout the world have featured his work, including Strychnin Gallery in Berlin, Dorothy Circus Gallery in Rome, and StolenSpace Gallery in London. Stoupakis currently lives and works in Queens, New York with his girlfriend and muse Aprella. For more information about the artist, please visit: www.davidstoupakis.com.

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KISS CONSULTATION - oil on canvas 36in x 48in

If your a fan of Ron English’s work, you will be pleased to know his latest work is on show now at the Shooting Gallery SF. Ron is the master of “popaganda”, known for his satirical interpretations of commercial iconography. For his latest show “The Secret History of Kiss”, Ron creates Bouguereau styled paintings with traditional regal and religious subject matter that have Kiss themes to them all. It really doesn’t matter if your a fan of kiss or not, as each one of the oil paintings on show is a masterpiece. The colors, presentation and the way he handles paint is not only inspiring but awe inducing. See more…

Profound visions of poverty through paintings

Don’t Shed No Tears - 24″x36″, Acrylics on Canvas © 2004-2008

Today is Blog Action Day - a day where thousands of bloggers around the world commit to write on the one topic in the hope of creating awareness around that issue. The topic this year is Poverty, and what better way to shed alittle ALOT of light on this terrible human condition than through the provocative ‘hyperealistic’ paintings of Denis Peterson. Being acknowledged as the pioneer and primary architect of hyperrealism which was founded upon the aesthetic principles of Photorealism. Denis was one of the first photorealist painters to emerge in New York, creating realistic scenes and portraitures rendered in meticulous detail. Many of his paintings depict homeless and African people in scenes that confront the human condition. “By making something beautiful and hyperreal in appearance, I think he attempts to remind us that people suffering terribly are living, breathing, thinking, and feeling individuals in need of our attention and help (Chris Ashley, Look See).”

Visually disturbing subjects of this iconoclastic artist have been statuesque figures and stoic faces painted in an eerily and deafening hyper-reality. His subjects are universally depicted with an internalized calm in the face of the surrounding horrors of deadly disease, impending torture, terrorizing fear, irrational hatred and saddening poverty.

There’s not much more to say that the paintings don’t say themselves. They are extraordinary paintings from an extraordinary artist. Follow the jump to see more…

Saturn: The bringer of old age/ The brat with promise, 2007-2008, acrylic on black silk velvet with motor, 40 x 40 inches

If your a fan of Thomas Woodruff’s paintings, then you’ll be pleased to know about his latest works, entitled: “Solar System (The Turning Heads),”on show at NYC’s P.P.O.W. Gallery on October 10th - 15th Nov. This new series is a dazzling parade of super magical otherworldliness to celebrate a fanciful universe of weird beauty with an incredibly unique touch, using richly layered paint and subdued colors. Woodruff’s a master of hybridizing vocabularies from the past and present, referencing sideshow banners, Pompeian wall frescoes, Baroque religious paintings, theatrical posters, and Victorian penmanship charts to create new planetary oddities with a twist - every painting from this series is meant to be flipped, thereby revealing an inverse meaning.

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“This show will include a handful of my ‘drawings’ on paper and wood, and will feature 24 talented artist’s work (curated by myself!).This is my first time putting together a show, so its all very new to me, but i am sure this will be quite amazing for all of us, and hope everyone will enjoy these artist’s work, both familiar and new” - Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki has pulled together some very interesting friends to curate her very first exhibition. Entitled: “The Drawing Room,” and consists of Stella Im Hultberg, Amy Sol, Kukula, Brandi Milne, Brian Viveros, Catherine Brooks, Mari Inukai, Nomi Chi, Lauren Albert, Jessica McCourt, Julia Sonmi Heglund, Eveline Tarunadjaja, Meg Hunt, Irana Douer, Catherine Campbell, Lilly Piri, Amy Earles, Eric Thomas Bostrom, Joao Ruas, Laura Laine, Jason Levesque aka Stuntkid, Fumi Nakamura, Travis Louie, and Liza Corbett. This eclectic showcase will surely be a huge hit when it opens at the Thinkspace Gallery on Friday, November 7, 2008.

Take an in-depth sneak preview of the many artists that will be featured on Audrey’s live journal.