San Francisco based artist Velia De Iuliis draws her inspiration from an inherent curiosity for all living things, and her colorful gouache illustrations are a tribute to the animals that she admires. Her work interprets their energy into abstract compositions that juxtapose the organic flow of nature with naturally occurring geometric forms like diamonds, ellipses and diagonal lines. “My work reflects what has fascinated me throughout my life. Themes of symmetry and patterns found in nature as well as nature itself are the avenues that both inspire and captivate me. Science, philosophy and art are tightly bound but to better understand humanity I have to first understand the natural world we live in, she says. Her new body of work, titled “The Riddle of the Universe”, is inspired by newly discovered animal subjects. Often, they appear entangled and clustered together in a way that represents the chaotic cycle of life; a flock of Red Ibis are perfectly bundled into the shape of a human heart, two monkeys embrace as their tails form a zig-zag pattern, and other images use the recurring motif of Ouroboros, a serpent eating his own tail. “In choosing to paint flora, fauna and animalia, nature never ceases to fascinate me. Following my instinct, I don’t plan my pieces; instead I first find facts that captivate my attention such as the complexity and lineage of a species but sometimes its their sheer beauty that inspires. I hope that my paintings portray the wonder and constant curiosity I have for this special world, a world where creatures help me to better understand humanity.”
Velia De Iuliis’s “The Riddle of the Universe” will be on view at Artists Republic in Laguna Beach, CA from February 20th through March 31st, 2016.
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Following the release of his Fantagraphics book with portraits of all 44 U.S. presidents, illustrator Drew Friedman brings his satirical, “warts-and-all” style to Ohio State University’s Friends of the Libraries Gallery at Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. In addition to his book illustrations, the exhibition also features his other presidential-themed works over the years, like the magazine cover above.