Korean-born artist David Choong Lee's intricate mixed-media paintings and collages merge photorealistic elements with graphic design and patterns to develop his own unique style. He draws from a classical figural style which he juxtaposes with vibrant graffiti elements. The San Francisco-based artist has been shown in galleries throughout California, as well as New York, Portland, Canada, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

Ink Drawing/Painting: Drawing with an eye-dropper and sumi-e ink, l aim to reproduce, not so much the reality, rather it’s sentiment or felt nature, which in Japanese can be called Kokoro mochi — the moving spirit. The uncontrollability of the eyedropper impels me to work swiftly and from an inner connection. This means I discover later which pieces may have captured the animating spirit. It also means I throw away a lot.

  I also find myself going back to the initial drawing to tease out with a brush and wash what narrative may be found in the impression of some pieces. The wash tends to flood the scene with an atmosphere and begins to tie together disparate parts of a drawing. The development of this process is leads me to follow what narrative may be found in layering drawings with wash in a larger context. Exploration of what may be found in a drawing, what might happen there, what story is being told that I cannot know yet, this is what interests me and keeps me in the process. 

For 25 years now, I have worked as a singular,  studio fine artist, my interests ranging from painting, to drawing, printmaking, encaustic, collage and photography.
ALL media explored are absolutely interdependent within my creative process.

Early in my career, my figurative work was often labeled "3rd Generation Bay Area Figurative;"
since 1999, this is no longer the case.  My exploration of the figure has become highly idiosyncratic 
and conceptually experimental.

Private drawing sessions with female models is a vital practice to the gestalt of my work.
This collaborative ritual, begun in 1994, is a source for inner grounding, focusing and allowing
eureka moments to bubble to the surface.

At present, I describe my work as eclectic and highly autobiographical. I define myself
as a versatile visual artist, continuously pushing boundaries, evolving via success and
challenges, to give meaning to my creative existence.

I am a contemporary artist from the United Kingdom who specialises in complex, surreal oil paintings.

My inspiration comes from learning and studying about the way of life in different parts of the world as well as local. Interacting with new and foreign environments fascinates me. My work draws from the many faces, lands, art, and architecture, which I encounter while traveling.

One theme I like to focus on includes the juxtaposing qualities of civilization and nature, sometimes clashing and sometimes in harmony. Another theme in my work is depicting the struggle between preservation and deterioration of cultures and land. The subjects in my work are landscapes, cityscapes, and portraits derived from scenes from my memory and photograph. It excites me to observe the color schemes that nature has brought forth and also to play with this using my imagination. The output is a combination of my experience, thoughts, understanding, as well as experimentation.

I believe art is wonderful platform to promote harmony because it teaches people respect and understanding for each other and our surroundings. I feel lucky and thankful to have the opportunity of experiencing life as an artist. This artistic exploration continues to help me understand who I am.

I have just returned from two years in Paris and I am opening up my studio for the first time in San Francisco to show some of my acrylic paintings from Paris and my charcoal drawings from San Francisco. This show is going to focus primarily on faces, but I'll be showing some figures as well.  While in Paris, I sketched daily on the metro, sneaking glances at passengers and then returned to my studio to paint my on large canvases. I 'sketched' live models using acrylic paints on paper during short poses at La Grande Chaumiere in Paris. I drew live models  in charcoal at the 23rd Street Studio in San Francisco. I spent many years drawing, but kept  my work very private. This is the first time of most  of these drawings will be shown to the public. 

Original Art Made of Hand Drawn Lines

LineScaping is a series of original paintings and drawings created by lines. It features a minimalist abstraction with a distinctive style. All lines are drawn freehand one by one, unlike one may suspect it computer assisted.

Abstract Art

What do you see in abstract art? There's no incorrect answer to what you should see in abstract art. Use imagination. Make up your own story and be convinced with it. Your story is the subjective truth you live with. Ultimately, it's not only about abstract art, but also everything in life is about how you view things.

“I enjoy blending narrative and portraiture into my paintings and prints. Thematically, my works invoke varying degrees of emotions such as tension, desire, restlessness, self-doubt and vulnerability.  The works explore how one may approach and process these learned insecurities.  Visually, my style is influenced by the German Expressionists and the American Social Realists.”

Catherine Small studied visual art, art history and design at The University of Texas at Austin and Sam Houston State University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, graduating with honors.  After a career in graphic design, and on the same day she signed the last check to her daughter’s private college in 2003, Catherine began working full time as an artist concentrating on painting and printmaking.

Her work has been exhibited and collected nationally and internationally.

I have enjoyed being a professional graphic designer in San Francisco for over 20 years. A couple of years ago I received my certification as a Traditional Chinese Medicine-based Feng Shui Practitioner. My practice helps individuals and businesses with health, wealth and relationship issues. I have always been very spiritual and have recently aligned my faith and principles with my everyday life. My "life's work" is sending a message that life can be great for anyone because we all deserve it and are all equal. This I convey with more clarity and simplicity as days go by, and is apparent in my design, feng shui and art work.

 My new "Sun On Earth" series consists of wood stain paintings on wood boxes. The process includes many layers of stain to produce the effect of dimension. The entire surfice is flat. Many think it looks carved or weaved. The title of the series comes from the idea that the sun is everywhere, shining it's rays on earth. This inevitable act of nature can't be changed or stopped.  It just is.  We are connected to this as we are to everything that exists. We are one. We are not separate. Look deep into these images and find your place of peace.

I am lucky to be an artist.