Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Recently, i got to live out my street art fantasies and play "look-out" for Jesse Hazelip as he put up this stunning buffalo wheatpaste on Valencia between 23rd & 24th. In the daylight no less. If you didn't get a chance to see it in person, I'm sad to say but, you snooze you lose. It ran for about a week but alas, has suffered the same fate as most street pieces and has since been covered by stickers, band flyers and ads. All good things must come to an end though, I suppose...

First four pieces are up

I love how he cut out parts of the frame of the nose.

Love the detail of his drawing!

Finishing touches

Finished! This shot should give you some perspective on the scale of the piece.

For those of you who missed it, check out some pics from the opening night reception of "Adaptive Radiation", the show I curated for D-Structure featuring new work by John Wentz. So many people came out for this event and I'd love to thank them for their support!

The sculptural pieces that John created for the installation flew out the door but work is still available. Please contact me at lainya.magana@gmail.com for inquiries or, better yet, swing by D-Structure 7 days a week to check out the show in person!

John and family

People couldn't believe that these were oil paintings. 

Apsis, Oil on Aluminum Panel, 40"x25"

Luna, Oil on Aluminum Panel, 48"x33"

"Helios", Oil on Aluminum Panel, 48"x32"

"Stella Martis", Oil on Aluminum Panel, 40"x40"

Mural installation

After helping Clynton Lowry hang the work for his upcoming show at Ketér Salon, I stopped on over to see my friend, and another inspiring artist, Aron Cohen at his Bayview SF art studio.

Aron works with photography and printmaking to produce astoundingly beautiful images that have a painterly quality without being painted at all. He compositions begin with a colorful assortment of collected plastic things - items most consumer Americans use once and then toss without even thinking twice. The finished result is modern, aesthetically pleasing while possessing subtle commentary.

Contact me at lainya.magana@gmail.com for inquiries.

Take a peek:

And because my pictures don't do the work justice, here are some from the artist:

Here's a teaser of some work in progress by Bay Area artist, John Wentz.

I booked him for a show at D-Structure in March. Stay tuned for more info!

Email me at lainya.magana@gmail.com for inquiries.

Amazing detail 

I'm a huge nerd when it comes to composition and Wentz doesn't disappoint. 

Love the DaVinci-esqu diagrams 

Beautifully complex portrait 

Again, the composition is well-planned and perfectly executed. 

I'm super excited to announce that the next show I curated will take place at a space near and dear to all our hearts: D-Structure SF! As hard as I've been working to put this show together, I'm pretty sure the artist - John Wentz - has me beat. Check out a sneak peek of some of the work you can expect to see and mark your calendars! The opening for "Adapative Radiation: New Work by John Wentz" will open on Friday, March 6th from 8pm-Midnight.

- - - PRESS RELEASE: 

FEBRUARY 1, 2009 – D-Structure SF and curator, Lainya Magaña, are pleased to present Adaptive Radiation – a collection of new works by Bay Area artist, John Wentz. The show will include installation, works in oil on aluminum panel, and a selection of works on paper. For Adaptive Radiation, Wentz continues his exploration of the human condition, weaving elements of mysticism and mythology into his pieces. Tightly rendered portraits representative of today’s youth interact on the canvas with Superheroes – the modern-day hero archetype and symbol of Wentz’s own, personal, childhood. These subjects are placed in the midst of a vast negative space amongst under paintings of Sacred Geometry and Golden Section imagery as a way to explain the subjects’ existence on a psychological plane and to further develop a sense of mysticism in the work.

JOHN WENTZ is a contemporary realist striving to understand the human condition through the lens of psychology and mythology. Inspired by the writings of psychologist Carl Jung, Wentz’s work explores how the archetype of the hero – and specifically the superhero – influences the human experience. Wentz was born and raised in the Bay Area and graduated with distinction from the Academy of Art University, where he won multiple awards. His work has been shown in national and international publications and resides in numerous private collections. John currently teaches at his alma mater focusing on painting, drawing, human anatomy, color theory, and composition.

Here's some amazing work by San Francisco-based artist, Jesse Hazelip. I love his dedication to his craft. In a world full of digitally manipulated work, I really appreciate the fact that he hand-illustrates his pieces and takes the time to consider his medium and materials. To see more of his work, you can visit his website: www.jessehazelip.com and come by 111 Minna Gallery on Tuesday, January 27th where he'll be participating in their monthly Sketch Tuesday event.

I went by this month's White Walls opening for the show, "Family First", and was surprised by my friend and participating artist, Rogelio Martinez, who had put a painting of ME in the show. The piece is entitled, "Mother", a nod to the fact that I'm expecting in May, and is selling for $600. Not to be presumptuous, but I can't help but think of the portrait Picasso did of Dora Maar (Dora Maar au Chat) that sold at Sotheby's in '06 for a cool $95,216,000. Maybe one day this will sell for something close to that? Hey. You never know...

Potential buyers??

Here's a few other images I took at the opening. The paintings below are by one of my favorite artists, Ian Francis. 

One of my favorite Bay Area artists, Mitsy Avila Ovalles, emailed me letting me know she had some extra 2009 wall calendars left for sale through her website and they are doooooope! I love Taqueria Cancun's calendars but they ain't got nothin' on these. You can pick one up for yourself on Mitsy's website: http://www.mitsyavilaovalles.com/MERCHTABLE.html

Last night was the opening for "First Things First", the group show I co-curated at 111 Minna Gallery.

It was such a delight to see how many people, both new and familiar, came down to show their support.

There was a lot of good energy amongst everyone and both the artists

and I received some warm, positive feedback.

Thanks for coming!!

I was so busy mingling and having a good time that I failed to take very many adequate pictures.

All the more reason to go by 111 Minna and check it out! The show is up through the end of the month so if you couldn't make it last night, be sure to try and stop by before then.

Contact me at lainya.magana@gmail.com for inquiries.

Finishing the hanging. Work picured L-R: Ryan Bubnis, Nicole Hagan, and Kelly Ording

My name in lights. Kinda.

Handling the sales. Thanks ladies!

Some of my good friends who made it to the opening. XOXO!

The wall in the main room featuring the work of Rene Almanza, Robert Hardgrave, Taska Cleveland...

Artist, Mario Wagner, from Germany, was in attendance.