Masha Keating

Biography

Masha Keating paintings, whether oil, acrylic or digital, explore the visual elements found in the natural world around us. Her art stems from an intricate play between intense colors, modeled light and abstract forms—all weaving a tapestry of emotions across the canvas. With a vivid palette and her signature meandering lines, Keating draws her viewers in and delivers a sense of energy and vitality that is present in each of her large-scale paintings. Her deep connection with the feminine side of our world is palpable in every work.

Born in Moscow, Russia, Keating immigrated to America with her family in 1991. Upon graduation from Otis College of Art and Design, she settled in Santa Barbara, California, where she currently lives and paints. Although she considers herself an emerging artist, Keating has had over thirty-five solo and group shows combined. She is a member of the Santa Barbara Studio Artists and her studio is located at the Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology, SB CAST, Studio C.

EDUCATION

2006 – 2012   Tom Wudl Studio, Los Angeles, CA

1999               B.F.A. in Fine Arts, Otis College of Art and Design

1995 – 1999    Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

SOLO SHOWS

2016               SB CAST, Studio C, Santa Barbara, CA

2016               Ojai Art Center, Ojai, CA

2016               Gaia’s Path, Palm Loft, Carpinteria, CA

2014               Pulse of Line, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Santa Barbara, CA

2013               ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

2013               Pulse of Line, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Shreveport, LA

SELECT EXHIBITIONS

2016               Multiplicity, Izen Miller Gallery on El Paseo, Palm Desert, CA

2016               100 Grand, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2015               Neoteric International Exhibition, The HUD Gallery/Dab Art, Ventura, CA

2015               Firgure, CASA Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2015               A Step into Spring, Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA

2014               Holidaze Group Show, Galerie 102, Ojai, CA

2014               Feast Your Eyes, The Arts Fund, Santa Barbara, CA

2014               LAX WAX, Santa Barbara Tennis Club, Santa Barbara, CA

2014               Nature vs. Nurture, Galerie 102, Ojai, CA

2013               100 Grand, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA                  

2013               A Bee’s World, Two person show, Ca’Dario Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2013               Affordable Art Fair, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA

2013                Encore Angel, Santa Barbara Tennis Club, Santa Barbara, CA, Award of Merit

2013               2-D & 3-D Works Exhibition, LH Horton Jr Gallery, Stockton, CA

2013               National All Media Exhibition, Chico Art Center, Chico, CA

2013               In Her Minds Eye, Santa Barbara Tennis Club, Santa Barbara, CA

2013               12th Annual Juried Open, Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, CA

2013                Paintings, Paintings, Paintings, Pacific Art League Gallery, Palo Alto, CA

2013               Affordable Art Fair, Metropolian Pavilion, New York, NY

2012               100 Grand, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2012               Birth of Color, Arts & Recreation Center, Baldwin Park, CA

2012               Holiday Collectible Exhibition, Wall Space Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2012                In Tune, Palm Loft Gallery, Carpinteria, CA

2012               Timeless Meditations, Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, AZ, Award of Merit

2012               Peace, Love, Grace, Juried Show, Palm Loft Gallery, Carpentaria, CA            

2012               Santa Barbara Studio Artists Show, Santa Barbara Frame Shop and Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA                                      

2012               Standard Deviation, Pop up Show of Alternative Art, Santa Barbara, CA

2012               New Growth: Two person show, Corridan Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA                  

2012               Collector’s Choice Show, Sylvia White Gallery, Ventura, CA

2011               Holiday Blue, Palm Loft Gallery, Carpentaria, CA

2001               Organic Aesthetics, Angels Gate Cultural Center, San Pedro, CA

1998               LA Countywide Arts Open House, Los Angeles, CA 

LECTURES

2012               Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA

PUBLICATIONS

2016               Hope Ranch Living Magazine, Resident Spotlight

2015               “Осознание” (Consciousness) Poems by Boris Kornfeld 

2013               “Stories We Tell” catalog for the Women’s Caucus for Art

Masha Keating Artist Statement

Masha Keating’s paintings are an exercise in both observation and exploration. Her early works were often representational reflections of floral and leaf-like forms. As Keating’s approach has moved more toward abstraction, her work has taken on a more inquisitive feel. Her focus has shifted, letting each form lead her down a path of discovery, rather than letting her preconditions guide her. This mindset has allowed her paintings to become more metaphysical in nature, the forms utilizing space more freely, with an emphasis on color and line.

The creation of Keating’s paintings begins with the interpretation of an organic form, whether it be a plant, landscape, or, more recently, a figure in motion. Although she starts with a fairly representational portrayal, the result is much more abstract in nature. Keating uses her initial sketches as “suggestions” for where the piece could go; each structure or line is used to inform another, a process that brings numerous layers and changes to each work. Passages and forms give birth to new directions, a ripple-like effect that occurs over and over until the composition is complete. Keating embraces the discovery and surprise that comes with the process, resulting in a lucid, free-flowing example of exploration. To her, the process is a metaphor for life; every element informing and influencing one another, each an integral part of the whole.