Best Local Los Angeles Artists
Los Angeles is certainly an art hub. There are multiple galleries, art shows, festivals and plenty of other opportunities to peruse the work of some of the more unknown artists. The genres seem endless – pencil, oil, watercolor, sculptures, photography, mixed media. One could hardly get to see it all. But within that which is available, there are always a few artists that catch your eye. Following are five local artists whose work may just call to your senses.
Oscar Magallanes
oscarmagallanes.com
Oscar Magallanes was born in Duarte, CA and continues to paint locally out of his Lincoln Heights studio. Through his art, Magallanes speaks of history and how he sees the past affecting the present. His paintings celebrate the legacy of those he feels were revolutionary icons (and sometimes victims) of society. Magallanes is deeply involved with the art movement in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Inner-City Arts Young Professionals Advisory Board, one of the finest art education programs in the nation.
John Crespo-Estrella
fineartamerica.com/john-crespo-estrella
Along with his brother Freddie Crespo, John Crespo-Estrella stays true to the art of rhythm by singing in his salsa band Grupo Costazul. But when not singing or keeping the beat on the güiro, he has depicted his musical feelings on canvas. Trained at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, his work is colorful and depicts the urban Latino essence and its connection to contemporary America. Prints of his pieces and postcards are available for purchase on the website listed above.
Ione Citrin
artbyione.com
Ione Citrin began painting in 1998, dedicating herself completely to the visual arts after leaving a career in radio and television. A most prolific artist, her work includes watercolors, oil paintings, sculptures and mixed media. Her art can be catalogued as abstract, realistic or impressionistic. She aims to express what she feels in her soul by propelling it through an active imagination and lots of energy. Her "Rhapsody" and "Night at the Opera" are beautiful works that can be seen on her website's Portraits & Figures gallery.
Chuck Staley
chuck-staley.artistwebsites.com
Chuck Staley creates acrylic and ink-on-canvas paintings, hand-embellished on-canvas photographs and digital art. His work is full of vibrant colors depicting various sights in Los Angeles – from women shopping in Rodeo Drive to limousines driving by elegant buildings. He is also involved with the arts as a TV director and a screenwriter, but his efforts in the visual arts are making him more known throughout the world.
Carlos G. Groppa
carlos-groppa.artistwebsites.com
Carlos G. Groppa is an 80-year-old, Argentina-born illustrator and writer who paints watercolor landscapes of typical scenes and locations in Los Angeles. For example, such works have included depictions of a Denny's, a Big Bog, people talking outside a café and patrons conversing inside a bar. His collection is available for perusal and purchase on the website listed above. His paintings are not very expensive (some sell for $100), but prints and postcards are also available. Groppa is also a lover of tango music and dance, and his articles on those subjects can be found at tangoreporter.com.
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