Artists & Galleries / Abstract Art
UPFRONT ASSEMBLING THE LOCAL AESTHETIC
Conceptual Creativity
LOCAL ARTISTS MANDY BRASA AND ISABELLE ALESSANDRA SHINE WITH THEIR ABSTRACT DESIGNS .
By SHARON STELLO
Unlike artwork that attempts to closely mimic people or scenes as they appear in real life , abstract paintings rely on the creativity of both the artist and the beholder , who may interpret the shapes on the canvas in a much different way than the painter intended , drawing their own unique conclusions from the same piece . Local artists Mandy Brasa and Isabelle Alessandra each add their own style to the abstract approach .
Mandy Brasa ( above ) paints abstract pieces , like this untitled artwork ( right ).
Bold and Bright
A bstract expressionist Mandy Brasa , who opened an eponymous gallery in town in 2020 , grew up in East Germany and remembers the Berlin Wall coming down at age 12 . No doubt those early experiences affect her artwork today , if only on a subconscious level .
She eventually moved to California after meeting her future partner while on vacation in Santa Cruz and they settled in a small mountain town near Yosemite National Park , surrounded by natural beauty . When she picked up a paintbrush , her initial pieces were centered around animals and landscapes , but she began experimenting with an abstract style shortly after visiting Laguna .
Having previously worked in the hospitality industry , she tapped into her creative side upon connecting with another artist and painting with her a decade ago . Despite little exposure to the art world — and with no formal training — her raw talent flourished , especially as she started painting on larger canvases .
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