Studio D Contemporary Art

A while back, Downs, a California based artist, asked me to feature some work from his most recent collection on All Things Nice. When I took a look at his website, I was both fascinated and intrigued. The simplicity, balance and understanding of color in his canvases instantly capture your attention. One look isn’t enough - you feel drawn into the animated layers of the paintings. His canvases emit a sense of adventure and tension. They are created with hundreds of painted layers of varying thickness and transparency, all of which subtly interact. Take a look at his most recent works titled the “Manhattan Series”.

Lush Life in Manhattan

Lush Life in Manhattan- Detail 1

Very Yellow in Manhattan

Very Yellow in Manhattan- Detail 1

Manhattan Sushi

Manhattan Sushi- Detail 1

Downs, of Studio D Contemporary Art, became interested in art through his fascination with Art Deco and the Modernist Movement. Despite having no formal training in the arts, he was fortunate to have mentors like Karl Benjamin, Jeff Faust and Frederick Hammersley. After exploring different forms of painting,he feels he has derived a lot of influence from abstraction and minimalism for his creative direction.

Downs has been included in group shows with Andre Miripolsky, Mark Mothersbaugh, Mark Kostabi and Andy Warhol.

Thanks Downs for sharing your work.

[All images copyrighted to the artist]