I am primarily a plein air artist. The attraction of plein air painting for me is being in the natural environment that I attempt to capture on canvas. I am better able to witness changing atmosphere, shadows, clouds, brightness, and the myriad effects of wind on the mountain and coastal sites I favor, than if I were only passing by. And while hiking and mountain biking are favorite activities, being in one place for a time while painting offers much more time to observe the beautiful, transitory details. The sensation of mountain air, the fragrance of plants and dirt, the movements of animals and insects, the immense sense of presence.

I have had the extraordinary pleasure of spending time painting with, and learning from, truly wonderful artists here in California, including Ken Auster, Karl Dempwolf, Randy Sexton, and Debra Huse, to name a few. I have exhibited in both group and solo venues, including the Santa Monica Mountains Anthony Beileson Interagency Visitor Center, La Galleria Gitana, Malibu City Hall, Santa Paula Art Museum, and Topanga Canyon Gallery.

I am honored to be currently serving as President of the Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore, a group of local fine artists with a long history of painting representational art of the Santa Monica Mountains and beaches to promote appreciation of the environment and to support conservation and maintenance in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and local parks.

A self-taught artist lends a sense of humanity, unabashed originality, and a feeling of accessibility in her craft. One word that best describes her style is bold. Her color isn’t shy, nor subtle. She addresses it fearlessly. The composition and expression in her work shows such an intriguing approach that is both powerful and sensitive.

“I consider myself an idealistic painter by only choosing to capture joyful experiences using a vibrant array of colors. Each of my paintings are snapshots of my daily life.”

Monica strives to create work that the viewers can relate to their own personal experiences. She paints en plein air, which necessitates immediacy of decision-making and an instinctive response to her environment. This informs her studio work to respond and translate intuitively and spontaneously.

A native Californian, Monica List is a member of the California Art Club, Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains and Seashore, and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.

John von Buelow is a creative guy. He was born in Santa Monica and spent most of his life in Southern California. He first took to the brush and canvas when his fourth grade teacher suggested art lessons as a way focus his inquisitive intelligent restlessness. That foundation led him to constantly create with his hands and his head. His love of drawing and making things led him to his degree and career in Industrial Design. The creative problem solving process as well as the represenational and aesthetic art skills of design are imbedded in his approach to art.

Mosaic artist Patricia Scopinich has been creating mosaics for the last twenty years. She splits her time between her administrative job in the Science Division at Pepperdine University and creative time in her home studio in Calabasas. Patricia’s inspired fine art mosaics are represented in private homes and local art shows. Patricia studied art history at UC Santa Barbara and assisted in managing two Los Angeles art galleries. Her mosaic work is vibrant, festive, and uplifting.

Kim Bennett holds a Bachelors of Art from Vermont College in creative writing and worked as a Hollywood film editor for nearly two decades. She also worked as a clothing designer and had her own vintage clothing line, which was sold in over 150 retail stores through out the United States. Kimberley’s photography has been sold, rented and featured in a solo art show at the Rental Gallery at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as well as other retail stores and galleries.

Emily Scher studied design, fine art, photography and computer animation. Upon graduating she immediately got hired to be an effects animator for feature film and commercials in a swank New York studio. She continued her career for 20 years, working all over the world. A decade ago she switched gears and turned her focus to photography. She’s been dedicated to capturing beauty and inspiring joy through her lens. Emily loves to shoot portraiture, events, sports, performance, nature, editorial and real estate. Emily is based in Malibu, Ca.

Award winning, international artist based in Los Angeles, working with acrylics & mixed media on canvas.