bio
CRYSTAL MICHAELSON
la based mixed media artist
I love to scribble. It all started when I was a small child, coloring " outside the lines" with my mom. The waxy smell of a box of crayons brings back happy memories of sprawling out on the floor drawing. That feeling of freedom that I experienced then, is with me today when I start mark making and painting.
My art expresses the interplay I have with my environment and daily interactions. Intuitive marks and gestures guide me through a process of layering, constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing. The work dictates when it is time to stop.
Visceral, immediate, raw.
A line is a dot that went for a walk.
-Paul Klee
Growing up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., exposure to culture and history fostered a lifelong love of the arts. Having lived the majority of my life in Southern California, I developed a great appreciation for the dynamic landscape and bohemian spirit enveloping the beaches, mountains and deserts surrounding me.
My more recent work is reflective of my response to the times we are living in. As a mixed media artist, I have found a wonderful place to escape and share my concerns and compassion with my viewer. I find myself moved and touched by the differences in our society, the polarization generating our volatile political climate.
Being medium driven, I love getting my hands messy and delve into the paints, gels, and variety of mediums I am using (even finger painting sometimes.) Often I incorporate found objects or items that have special meaning to me, or just speak to me for some reason. I recycle my own artwork, often tearing old paintings and drawings up and using the energy they once possessed in a new, fresh way. Occasionally I will include things from my travels, nature, memorabilia, industrial cast offs, old paint brushes, used drop cloths and other found objects in my art. Using this history to document my life's journey, reworking it into a new narrative.
My mixed media art tells the tale of my conversation with the world around me.
selected exhibitions
2024
“NOIR” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
"ON PAINTING" 515 Bendix Building, Los Angeles, California, curated by Robert Kingston
2023
“OPEN CALL EXHIBITION” Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Parl, Los Angeles, California
“UTOPIA” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
“POP!” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
“AESTHETICA” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
“ON GOING EXHIBITION” Slipstream Gallery, Santa Monica, California
“SIX!” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
“MATERIAL WORLD” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
“BRAND 51” Jurored by Ara Oshagan. Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, California
“BIG NAME, SMALL ART” Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, California
“SUMMER SOIREE” Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, California
2022
“SMALL WONDER”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“COLLECTIVE ACTS OF PEACE”, Slip Stream Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“BIG NAMES SMALL ART”, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
“OPTIC SPACE”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“VISIONS”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“RETROGRADE”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
2021
“SMALL WONDER”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF WOMEN PAINTERS WEST”, Brand Library and Art Center, Glendale, CA
“THE OTHER ART FAIR LOS ANGELES”, Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, CA
“BIG NAMES SMALL ART”, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
“SUMMERTIME SOIREE”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“DOMSMIREN”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“SMALL WONDER”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“SUSTAIN”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“ART 2 LIFE INTERNATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION”, Online juried by Julie Nester of Julie Nester Gallery
2020
“BLUSH”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“DE FENCE”, Outside Exhibit, Santa Monica Airport Campus, Santa Monica, CA
“VIRTUAL OPENING, UNITED SPACES”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“HARMONY”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“DRAWING CONNECTIONS”, 18th Street Arts Center, Airport Campus, Santa Monica, CA
“20/20”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
2019
“SMALL WONDERS”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“THE OTHER ART FAIR”, Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, CA
“TRANSFORMATIONS”, Hallway Galleries, 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA
“ALLURE”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“KINDLE”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“SUMMERTIME SOIREE”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“BIG NAMES SMALL ART”, art auction, Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA
“SUPER BLOOM”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL”, Arena 1 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“LOVE SONGS”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2018
“SMALL WONDERS”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“22 PIECES”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
Los Angeles Art Association Open Juried Show, Gallery 825, juried by Anna Katz, assistant curator at MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
2017
“SMALL WONDERS”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“6 WOMEN”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“MIXED USE”, Janssen Art Space, Palm Springs, CA
“SERENITY”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“BRAND 45 WORKS ON PAPER”, National Juried Exhibition Associates of Brand Library & Art Center, juried by Leslie Jones, curator of prints & drawings at LACMA, Glendale, CA
“BLISS”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Ongoing Exhibition, Westervelt's Fine Art, Laguna Niguel, CA
“CHROMA”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“FLOURISH”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
Open Call 2017 Black Box, Artspace Boecker Contemporary, Heidelberg, Germany
DTLA Art Walk Lounge, Los Angeles, CA
“QUADRIVIAL”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“SEPTIME”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“INTENTIONS”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2016
“PARADOX”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
as-tratto “7 CON 7 AMICI STATUNITENSI”, Palazzo Torlonia, Avezzano, Italy
Anniversary Open Studios Hangar Gallery Santa Monica Artist Studios, Santa Monica, CA
“DOUBLE VISION”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“PLAY”, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles, CA
“FEMMES FATALES”, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“SPECTRUM-GESTALT”, Bleicher/Gorman Project Space Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
“MONTAGE” Group Show, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
“THINGS FALL APART”, Art Share LA, Los Angeles, california
Lamperouge Gallery, Brewery Arts Complex, Los Angeles, CA
“DUALITY” Group Show, Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2014
“BRAND 42 WORKS ON PAPER: CELEBRATE”, Brand Library and Art Center, juried by Jack Rutberg, Glendale, CA
“BLUE TAPE 12 EXHIBITION”, Tarzana, CA
Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Open Call, Los Angeles, CA
Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park, Los Angeles, CA
Thousand Oaks Art Association juried open show, Thousand Oaks Community Gallery, jurored by Bill Anderson, Newbury Park, CA
Buenaventura Art Association 28th Annual Open Competition, Buenaventura Gallery, jurored by Robert Burridge, Ventura, CA
Topanga Canyon Gallery Juried Open, jurored by Jim Morphesis, Topanga, CA
2013
“WOMEN PAINTERS WEST WINTER EXHIBITION”, Arena 1 Gallery Santa Monica Art Studios, jurored by Bill Bush, Santa Monica, CA
Reyes Adobe Days “FEATURED ARTIST”, Agoura Hills, CA
Morgan Stanley Permanent Corporate Art Collection, New York City, NY
“2013 TOPANGA CANYON GALLERY JURIED OPEN”, jurored by Om Navon Bleicher, Topanga Canyon, CA
Encino Terrace Gallery, Encino, CA
2012
“INTO THE BLUE”, Arena 1 Santa Monica Art Studios, Award Winner for my painting "Grid Series Blue No.1", Judge & Curator Anne Thornycroft, Santa Monica, CA
Los Angeles Art Association Open Show 2012, Gallery 825, Juried by Rebecca Morse, associate curator at MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
“WORKS ON PAPER: MEMORIES”, Brand Library, Burbank Creative Arts Center Gallery, Burbank, CA
“FRANKLYN.CALM FRANKLYN.EXCITED FRANKLYN.ARTIST”, Andrew Shire Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“CONNECTIONS”, Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, The Galleria At The Hillcrest Center For The Arts, Thousand Oaks, CA
“2012 TOPANGA CANYON GALLERY JURIED OPEN SHOW”, Topanga, CA
2011
“WORKS ON PAPER: ENTRANCES AND EXITS”, Brand Library, Glendale, CA
Watercolor West Award, juror Peter Frank
“WOMEN PAINTERS WEST JURIED EXHIBITION”, Schomburg Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“OPEN CALL BARNSDALL PARK”, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“CHAIN LETTER”, Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“ART OF HAITI”, Orange County Center For Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
2010
“CHAOS AND ORDER” Arena One Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
“OPPOSITES ATTRACT”, Viva Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA
Venice Oceanfront Contemporary Art Gallery, Venice Beach, CA
“REINCARATION_RECYCLING”, Studio Channel Islands Art Center, Camarillo, CA
“SYMBOLS AND WORDS”, Arts Council of Conejo Valley Invitational
Topanga Canyon Gallery Open Juried Show, Topanga Canyon, CA
2007 - 2009
“OPEN CALL LA”, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2009
Encino Terrace Center Encino, CA, 2008
Collage Artists of America Viva Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA, 2008
Southern California Open Regional Exhibition, Sherman Oaks, CA, 2008
Women Painters West Group Exhibit, 2008
Group Exhibit Creative Arts Center Gallery, Burbank, CA, 2008
Group Exhibit, Orlando Gallery, Tarzana, CA, 2008
Group Exhibit, LA Artcore Brewery Annex, Los Angeles, CA, 2008
Group Exhibit, Finegood Gallery, West Hills, CA, 2007
“OPEN CALL LA”, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2007
“MIXING MATERIALS AND PERSONALITIES”, Viva Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA, 2007
“RIPPED AND TORN”, Viva Gallery, Sherman Oaks, CA, 2006
“NEW ARTISTS, NEW IMAGES”, Hillcrest Center For The Arts, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2006
My artwork is also included in many private collections.