BIOGRAPHY

Education

Biography

Masha Keating

Masha Keating Bio.

I was born in Moscow Russia and immigrated to America in 1990 at the age of 13. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 has caught my family by surprise and we considered ourselves very lucky not to be there for the aftermath of it all.

After coming to America, having a direction and a passion for Art has helped me to overcome those confusing first years as a young immigrant in a new country. Art has always been a strong part of my identity. My grandfather was my first introduction to it. He was a watercolor painter and well respected in Moscow. He ran a small art school there.

In the States, I went through a number of art programs and eventually earned my BFA at the OTIS College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California.

A few years ago, I took up a disciplined study of art again with my former OTIS professor, Tom Wudl, an accomplished painter and scholar in Los Angeles. Tom’s mentorship has helped me reenter the daily practice and discipline of art after a long break that I had to take due to the demands of raising a family.

I am currently living and working in Sunny Santa Barbara with my husband and three sons.

EDUCATION

2011           Kline Art Academy, Los Angeles CA

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

2014           Pulse of line, Karpeles Museum, Santa Barbara, CA

2013           ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL

2013           Pulse of Line, Karpeles Museum, Shreveport, LA

2012           Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, Santa Barbara, CA Permanent Display

SELECT EXHIBITIONS

2014           Nature vs. Nurture, Galerie102, Ojai, CA

2013-2014   100 Grand, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2013-2014  A Bee’s World, 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           12^th Annual Juried Open, Topanga Canyon Gallery, Topanga, CA

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

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

2012-2013  100 Grand, Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA

2012-2013  Birth of Color, Baldwin Park Arts and Rec. Center, Baldwin Park, CA

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

2012           In Tune, Palm Loft Gallery, Carpinteria, CA

2012           Timeless Meditations – Mandalas and Patterns in Nature: Nationally Juried

2012           Exhibition, 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: Temporary 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           Art Student Lecture, Westmount College, Santa Barbara, CA

MURALS

1999           Anomaly Factory II: Private Hollywood Hills Club, Sponsored by Entertec, Inc

                  Painted murals in 3 of 24 individually-themed rooms constructed by a collective of artists and craftsmen.

PUBLICATIONS

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

1995           Messenger Magazine: Weekly Cover Art. Los Angeles CA

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.