Artists of the Month - February 2016
by Judie Apablaza
April Drew Foster, "French Sea Shore"
April Drew Foster was our blue ribbon winner in the “Premier” category. She started her watercolor painting, "French Sea Shore,” in France, at a beach in Brittany that made her feel very happy and peaceful, while she was on a magical art workshop with the late Chris Van Winkle. She will always treasure her memories of the international plein air workshops and Chris’s witty style and astute critiques.
April grew up in Southern California in a coastal community. The sea has always represented peace, beauty and tranquility. The French town by the seashore seemed to speak to April of life by the sea. She loved the hard and soft lines of the ocean and the land intersecting, portrayed so masterfully in her painting. April has been painting from a young age, having majored in art. She has taught for many years with LAUSD, recently finishing twenty-five wonderful years of teaching art in adult education. She also studied for three years with Mission Renaissance, and was a docent in the British, French and American art collections at the Huntington Art Galleries. April hopes to continue teaching privately as well as doing commissioned artwork. April states that she is “very fortunate that art has taken her on a lifetime visual journey where she visits beautiful places and meet wonderful people.” |
Kimberly-Ann Talbert, "Harbor Cove Sunset"
Kimberly-Ann Talbert is our first place winner in the “Open" category, with her striking photo, “Harbor Cove Sunset.” This photograph is now on display at the Buenaventura Art Association (BAA). Kimberly has had a very positive experience with BAA’s galleries, and the popularity of her work has grown over time.
Like April, Kimberly-Ann has an affinity for the ocean. She loves to walk along the beach and take photographs, sometimes as many as 200 photographs at a time. She makes a distinction between the “fine art” of her work as opposed to “vacation photos” that everyone brings back from trips. She states that she is very tuned into the abstraction of colors and textures that only the spontaneity of photography can capture. Kimberly-Ann loves catching the action of nature and creating a "visual memory” on film. Like many artists, pursuing an education in the arts was not encouraged by her family. She prevailed with a degree in art and a Masters in Library Science and Information Systems. Her career allowed for art and travel. Her passion is revealed by the artist’s eye behind the camera. |