MIXIN' IT UP

Orange County Fine Arts Showcase Gallery in South Coast Plaza Village presents a new exhibition, “MIXING MEDIA”. The show features the work of Dominique McKenzie with 20 other OCFA member artists with Guest Artist Maureen Nolen and Visiting Artist Bludau.Janet, all working in mixed media.

Featured Artist, Dominique McKenzie enjoyed her training in representational Watercolors and has evolved to Abstract and Non Objective work using all types of Media such as Acrylics, Gouache, Inks, Pastels and various tools including her fingers. She is constantly experimenting with colors, shapes and textures, and enjoy large formats-wood, canvas, papers-for freedom and looseness. Dominique attended ESAG Interior Design and Graphic Arts in Paris, and Coastline Community College with Chris Sullivan.  

Guest Artist, Maureen Nolen begins her work by pouring 3 – 4 colors allowing them to mingle, resulting in additional colors. Her paintings are rarely planned but seem to end up representing nature. She does not worrying about the outcome. Eventually it becomes a puzzle to pull together. Maureen uses all water media, collage, charcoal, pastel, etc. to make it work. The results are intuitive abstraction with recognizable content.

She received her Bachelor of Fine Art from University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate studies at California State University, Long Beach, and studied with the following artists: Virginia Cobb, Robert E. Wood, Roger Armstrong and Christine Sullivan. Her work was selected for publication in “Creative Watercolor” by Mary Ann Beckwith.

Her art affiliations are with Fine Arts Institute of the San Bernardino County Museum, Women Painters West, Society of Experimental Artists, and Orange County Fine Arts.

Visiting Artist, Janet Bludau is a Southern California native and Newport Beach artist. She works consist primarily of landscapes, with a love for contemporary and abstract works focusing on color, application and abstraction.  Janet applies her paints with palette knives, screw drivers, pancake flippers, cake spatulas, old credit cards, sponges, squeeze bottles, and string as well as paint brushes. These tools create depth and sumptuousness, focusing on the interplay of thick, textured paint, combined with smooth brush strokes. She admits to being drawn to compositions with distinctive geometric shapes and lines. Janet’s formal studies include a Business Administration Degree, UC Berkeley Extension Art Program and College of Marin Art and Design Program.