Artists in Focus – to see all, click HERE.
This is a selection from the current collection of Focus On The Masters artist documentation. Click on the picture or artist name to view the portrait, biography, media presentations and website of the artist.
All artists’ portraits are by Donna Granata. The photographs and artworks shown on this website are copyrighted by the artists and may not be reproduced without permission from the copyright owner. By entering this website, you agree to these conditions.
Carlos Grasso
Painter
Carlos Grasso studied both visual arts and music as a child while growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He worked as a professional flautist and graphic designer before moving to Southern California where he found his passion for painting.
Carlisle Cooper
Painter
Often, after meeting Carlisle Cooper, one was amazed at his avant-garde painting style. One would expect him, as a Southern gentleman, to have a very traditional approach to his work.
In reality, he was one of the finest colorists. Mr. Cooper (as he is known to his legion of students) taught and inspired artists at Ventura College for more than 40 years.
Carl Friedlander
Fiber Artist
Carl Friedlander, a retired computer scientist, is well-known for creating prayer shawls worn at Jewish religious services. His fiber art gene seems to have come...
Burns Taft
Conductor/Musician
Recognized as a gifted musician and respected music educator in Ventura County, Burns Taft was the music director of the Master Chorale of Ventura for over 30 years. His academic credentials include from...
Boris Brott
Conductor
Can executives of Fortune 500 companies make beautiful music together? Can a “hog” riding Canadian inspire classical music audiences? We know that the answer is “yes”! Maestro Boris Brott is a recipient of the Order...
Bobby Houston
Filmmaker
Mighty Times: The Rosa Parks Story, a short (forty minutes) film by Bobby Houston and Robert Hudson of Tell the Truth Pictures, used vintage film stock and cameras to create images that are virtually...
Bob Privitt
Sculptor
Visiting with Bob Privitt is like gliding through a history of civilization on roller skates. His conversation is peppered with references to Plato, Icarus, Langston Hughes and Countee...
Bob Moskowitz
Painter
In his teaching and in his own work, he stresses the importance of mastering the fundamentals, of not taking short-cuts. His colleagues describe...
Bill Viola
Video/Installation Artist
Bill Viola is internationally recognized as one of today’s leading artists. In 2011 he was named a Praemium Imperiale Laureate, one of the world’s most prestigious art awards. Another project, two...
Bill McEwen
Sculptor
A major, universal principle of nature’s construction is that the greatest most intense activity and emphasis occurs at transition points. “I make theoretical, absolute experimental art objects as an...
BiJian Fan
Environmental Artist/Ceramist
It seems that BiJian Fan - paper sculptor extraordinaire - is everywhere. Strictly speaking, his art is not all paper as he employs a number of different materials,...
Beverly Decker
Painter
“With the thought of peace let me contemplate the world.” This is a phrase that Beverly Decker haschosen to begin a philosophical statement that is inspired by Buddhist text. The recitation continues with...
Bert Collins
Painter
Bert Collins is a noted Ojai Valley artist, painter and teacher who has won more than 200 awards during her lifetime. Her realistic scenes contain naturalistic color and fine detail. She is a member of the Santa Barbara Art Association and the Ventura County Pastel Artists Association. Galleries in cities such as Palm Springs, Newport Beach and Beverly Hills have represented her.
Beatrice Wood
Ceramist
World renowned for her exquisite luster glazes and whimsical figures, Beatrice Wood’s fascinating life beckoned the most avid art historians to her door. She was one of the last survivors of one of the...
Barry Berkus
Architect
Barry Berkus (1935 – 2012) Which came first, the architect or the collector? How does art influence architecture? Should a home be designed from the outside in, or the inside out? Barry Berkus was a Santa...
Barbara Fumagalli
Engraver
Barbara Fumagalli knew she would be an artist at around age seven when she began sketching and painting on family outings. Instead of playing volleyball and baseball, the family would pack up sketch pads, paint...
Audrey Sanders
Mixed Media
The work of Audrey Sanders, in her own words, “takes a middle ground between painting and sculpture.” She “compares her non-objective works to rhythmic linear relationships between order and chaos, architectural...
Astrid Preston
Painter
Astrid Preston has been called “one of America’s most important contemporary landscape painters.” She joins a love for Renaissance and Chinese/Japanese art with the emotions...
Arnold Newman
Photographer
In a career that spanned almost 58 years, Arnold Newman was a significant contributor to the history of photography. His photographs are part of permanent collections at the most respected museums...
Alison Saar
Mixed Media/Found Objects Artist
Can artists help us understand and deal with complex issues of the day? Alison Saar uses bold symbolism, literature and mythology as she explores the role of African-Americans, especially...
Alice Matzkin
Painter
In a society obsessed with youth and the fleeting beauty of perfection, Alice Matzkin has always looked at the positive side of growing older painting lines and wrinkles as the story of women’s years. The “Women of...
Alberta Fins
Expressionist
Alberta’s paintings and prints commented upon the human condition. She was an artist for whom the process of making art was more than a means to an end. The final artwork is, by her testimony, only...
Alan and Marilyn Bergman
Alan and Marilyn Bergman are American lyricists and songwriters. The pair have been married since 1958 and have written the music and lyrics for numerous celebrated television shows, films, and stage musicals. They have earned numerous awards...
Aimee French
Fiber Artist
Silk painter Aimee French loves the tactile sensation of moving the paint onto the silk with her brushes. Whether abstract or realistic, that sense of motion and color are inherent elements in her paintings. Her...
Adrielle Rose
Surrealist
Adrielle, daughter of renowned realist painter Carol Rosenak, displayed exceptional artistic talent as a young child and drew tremendous attention from experts in child art. She spent...
A Conversation with Jennifer Wolf: SOLD OUT!
A Conversation with Jennifer Wolf